A New Life
by CarnelianFox
Summary: Sequel to Ode to Carrots. Nick and Judy finally have the wedding of their dreams and are gung-ho about starting a family by adopting a teenager to give him a new chance at life. But when 14-year-old orphaned fox Lucas's past six years of life prove to be overwhelmingly scarring, can they get through to him and get him to open up?
1. First Step Into the Future

**I do not own Zootopia in any capacity. I wanted to start this as soon as possible even though I have a lot of other stuff to do. Sometimes, you have to make time. It's a good thing I finished my first mock resume. This is an idea that I needed to get the ball rolling for. I love the idea of Nick and Judy being together, and I started formulating this idea on that mission trip I was on back in July. I'm rating this T for the sake of later chapters. I won't specify now. Let's start this off on a happy note. Aye, sir! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1: First Step into the Future**

Nick never thought he would actually be where he was today. The sun was shining brilliantly through the stained glass windows, the trees were in full bloom and his tuxedo looked sharp on him. His paws subtly trembled. Finnick stood behind him. Behind Finnick was Clawhauser. Several members of the Zootopia Police Department filled the pews. Nick's mother, Kristy, was in the front, prepared with a camera and tearful smile. Judy's family filled nearly half of the chapel. One of Judy's younger sisters, 16-year-old Gillian, started playing Gazelle's "Try Everything" on an acoustic guitar as a little bunny, who looked about five or six, strolled down the middle of the aisle, tossing violet petals here and there.

Then, the bridesmaids rolled in… Nick knew that Judy had at least a hundred sisters. What he should have expected of his bride was that she would ask _every single one_ to be in her bridal party. The only two that declined were the music-loving Gillian and the little sister—Nick couldn't remember her name because he already had so many names to keep track of—who was throwing the flower petals.

Nick heard Finnick fidget anxiously behind him. Finnick was in a romantic relationship with Judy's fraternal twin sister, Amber, and it was Finnick's longest relationship by far. Amber had convinced Finnick to find a real place to live instead of living out of his van like he had done for years. She had convinced him to go along with Judy and Chief Bogo's plan to make a black ops unit within the ZPD to stand against the rise of organized crime. Finnick certainly wasn't liable to do any of that otherwise. Nick hoped that their relationship would last, for Finnick's sake if nothing else.

Sister after sister, the rabbits strolled down the aisle in the same white dress with a pale blue sash. Nick wondered of Gillian's paws would cramp up before they got even halfway through the coming of the bridesmaids, but he tried not to think too much about it. Instead of growing impatient, he let himself get lost in thought.

 _Flashback…_

 _Nick and Judy were on patrol one day in downtown Tundra Town. A café on the side of the road was coming up and Nick asked, "Hey, Carrots, can we stop here? I've got to take a leak."_

" _Alright, alright," Judy rolled her eyes and pulled into the parking lot. "Make it quick—we've got potential crimes to stop."_

" _But we don't know that yet. C'mon in with me, it's cold out here. I'll let Winter tell you all my secrets behind my back," Nick offered as he got out of the patrol car. Winter, an arctic fox and Nick's ex-girlfriend, had helped Nick and Judy on a case involving Nick's mother being kidnapped a while back. He had almost Judy on that case, and the very thought of losing her gave him more goosebumps than the viciously cold winds of Tundra Town._

" _Winter's a nice girl. I'm glad she's happy with her girlfriend," Judy said pleasantly and got out of the patrol car, trotting over to Nick and grasping his paw. Nick let out a faint, near-inaudible gasp and looked down at her. She gazed up at him and asked, "What's with the face? My paws are cold…"_

" _Nothing. You just caught me by surprise," Nick informed her._

" _I can't believe so much time has passed since we were on the Mad Cows case. And even more time since the Night Howler incident. And…we've been together for some amount of time in between. I guess I know what they mean when they say 'don't blink'," Judy said to Nick, reminiscing._

" _You know…I'm excited about how far forward we've gone together. I never thought you'd catch me by the heart," Nick informed Judy as he held the café's door open for her._

" _Nick! Judy! Welcome!" Winter the arctic fox greeted excitedly as her big, blue eyes fluttered and her snow-white tail swished excitedly from one side to the other. "Nick, you're finally making due on your word."_

" _Oh, right!" Nick feigned sudden recollection. "Yeah, remember when I said that the next time we'd be in here was when we were paying customers?"_

" _Nick, we don't have time—" Judy started to object to the idea._

" _We're not slacking off or anything. We're just taking a lunch break, Carrots," Nick reasoned with Judy._

" _Well, you did give your word…" Judy complied._

 _Nick rushed into the bathroom and started smoothing out his fur in the mirror and held a tiny red box in his right paw. He clutched it to his chest and muttered to himself, "Hey, Dad…whatever strength you had when you proposed to Mom…can you send some my way? Please…" Nick took a deep breath and went out into the main part of the café. Winter had already gotten Judy seated and the two were talking like old friends. They had only met twice now. That was one quality that he loved about Judy and that he had loved about Winter during their time together; they weren't afraid to be friendly._

" _Speak of the devil," Winter said when Nick was in her peripheral vision, "and he shall appear."_

" _Or a very sassy angel, in my case," Judy giggled._

" _Sassy? Me? Well, Carrots, I guess we've both got our fair share of sass, but… Anyway, all of that aside…" Nick began speaking, smirking. He got on one knee. "Judith Laverne Hopps, you're the sunshine, even on my darkest days. You're the reason I was able to make more of myself than I've dared to dream in years. You've taught me to love. You've taught me to live. You're the only one who can see past the mask. You see my emotions for what they truly are. You see me for who I am."_

" _Nick…?" Judy asked, a hurricane of emotions spiraling in her vivid purple eyes._

" _Will you marry me?" Nick asked pleadingly as he presented the small velvet box to her. He opened it slowly. A beautiful gold engagement ring with a small diamond embezzled in it sat snugly in the velvety cube._

" _Oh, Nick!" Judy threw her arms around him. "Yes, I will! I will!"_

 _End of flashback…_

Nick almost didn't notice Amber, Judy's maid of honor, walk onto the altar. Judy was at the end of the aisle, her father holding her arm. Judy couldn't stop smiling. The fox—her dumb fox—was the male of her dreams. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to leap into his arms right then and there.

Judy took her place on the altar with a hundred-some-odd bunnies behind her. Her white dress looked beautiful on her. It wasn't too puffy, but it had its fair share of material. Her veil, breaking traditions like she did, hung on the side of her head. Nick flashed her his signature smile. Judy took his paws. They were beaming into each other's eyes.

Their priest, one surprisingly clothed Yax the yak, began to do the ceremony. He asked the crowd, "You know, mammals have asked for generations what love is and yet we find it all the time. Especially here, man. These two are as tight as the grass and the soil. If each of us was more like the way these two are with our significant other—accepting and full of humor—we'd be a happier society. You guys on my wavelength?"

"I get ya, man," Finnick spoke up.

"It was meant to be rhetorical," Benjamin Clawhauser whispered to Finnick.

"The yak asked a question, so I answered," Finnick muttered back.

"Is anyone really going to try to deny these two of the wedding they deserve?" Yax asked. Judy's grandfather, Pop-Pop, jumped up and was about to say something, but Judy's older brother, Caleb, stopped him from saying anything.

"Alright! Let's hear those vows!" Yax suggested.

"Nick… Nicholas Wilde… When we first met, I wouldn't have thought in a million years that you'd be my best friend and my partner, let alone my lover. Until I took up the case of Mr. Otterton going missing, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Looking back, I am so glad and thankful to have had everything, both the good and the bad, happen to me because it helped me get to know you and all of what you and I have been through has brought us to where we are today," Judy told Nick, tears hanging in her eyes and her smile unwavering.

"Carrots… Judy… There's so much I could say. You're a little, fluffy ball of energy. You have such a huge soft spot for kids to the point where you managed to save my inner child from being completely shrouded on the darkness of my past. You're not cute; you're adorable. There's so much I should say, but most importantly, I have to tell you this: thank you," Nick said his vows to Judy, who started crying the second he opened his mouth.

The fox and the rabbit exchanged rings and Yax exclaimed, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you fox and wife! Go ahead, Nick, kiss your bride!"

Gillian smashed an empty soda bottle and started playing her guitar again. Nick picked Judy up and kissed her on the lips. Judy returned the kiss and the two of them were in synchronized bliss.

"I love you," Judy and Nick told each other simultaneously.


	2. Moving In

**Hey, all! Who's excited to see how Nick and Judy settle into married life? My remarks are sparse this time around, but be warned, there is a really heavy paragraph of backstory for the to-be-introduced Lucas. I could have gone into more detail with it, but I decided not to because it seems like it would be too soon. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2: Moving In**

Nick managed to find a nice apartment for himself and his new wife. It was bigger than Judy's old apartment by a rather substantial quantity of rooms. The lighting was better, the walls weren't at all greasy and, once they would have everything unpacked and Clawhauser would help them arrange, the décor would be the talk of downtown Savannah Central. The best part, in Nick's mind, was that Bucky and Pronk did not live next door. As Judy carried a stack of boxes in, she asked Nick, "This place is lovely! Can we really afford this?"

"You bet!" Nick assured, his sly smirk dominating his face.

"…Nick, what kind of strings did you pull?" Judy asked. How could she not? Compared to what she was used to and taking Nick's cleverness and "business experience" into account, the apartment seemed rather expensive when coupled with what their fixed expenses would be versus their combined salary.

"No strings pulled…technically. Remember this, Carrots: it pays to know people," Nick responded to her question. Setting the couple of boxes he was holding down on the island in the kitchen, Nick placed his right thumb over his chest and proudly boasted, "And I know everyone."

"But you only love one mammal in this city, right…?" Judy asked slyly as she set her boxes down and wrapped her arms around him. She fluttered her sparkling purple eyes, gazing up into his rather enchanted green eyes.

"Well, two, counting good ol' Mom," Nick replied equally slyly as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"Now, then…" Judy began to say as she let go of Nick, opened a box and pulled out a manila envelope. She gave it to Nick and said, "Study up."

"Is this a case?" Nick asked quizzically as he started to open the envelope.

"Sort of," Judy replied as she put her welcome mat out in front of their door.

Nick's eyes widened as he went through the contents of the folder. What he read was deep, dark and heartbreaking. This case was nothing short of a tall order for the two of them. Then one thing made Nick call out, "Hey, Carrots?"

"Yeah?" Judy responded as she started to load their glasses and mugs into the cupboard.

"Where is 'Little Kits Orphanage'?" Nick asked. The contents of the envelope were pieces of information regarding an orphaned fox named Lucas who currently resided in, evidently, the Little Kits Orphanage.

"In the country," Judy answered nonchalantly.

"The sticks? Like…in Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked, knowing that he was in for a long trip.

"Just a little further out, actually," Judy replied, now onto loading their silverware into the silverware drawer. "Nick, don't be a baby. We'll be making a difference in this kid's life."

"But are we ready? What if he doesn't open up to us?" Nick asked, concerned by how gung-ho Judy seemed about wanting to take this Lucas kit in.

Lucas was 14 years old. Six years ago, when he was only eight, his house mysteriously caught fire and his parents had burned to death inside. Soon after, Lucas was placed in a foster home where the foster-parents were rather negligent. The malnourished foster children were relocated to another home within a year of Lucas's initial arrival there. There, behind closed doors, Lucas endured unspeakable abuse. Unsure how to cope with it, he began to hurt himself until he couldn't tell his external pain from his internal pain. By the third foster home, one year later, his self-esteem was ruined and he was deemed a selective mute and a standalone. Tried as they did, those foster parents kept the fox for a year before they believed that Lucas needed to stay in an orphanage and be adopted by someone more capable.

"The stuff on his file may seem like an elaborate horror story full of angst and pain, but that has been this kid's life for _six years_!" Judy pointed out to Nick, tears in her eyes. "After reading his file, I can't just sit by and let him be devoid of a life of love and compassion."

"Do you even know what you're getting into? Do you think we can save him?" Nick asked, making his uncertainty obvious to his bride. Deep down, he felt bad for Lucas. With a past like that, Nick's own childhood seemed like a path of jubilee by comparison. After all, he still had his mom. Lucas didn't have anyone. He had been alone for six years. No wonder he had been considered a standalone. At first, no one had taken the time to deal with him. When someone finally did, it wasn't enough.

"I think we can _help_ him. I think we can _love_ him. I think we can _raise_ him. I think he needs those things, not saving," Judy corrected Nick, her amethyst eyes filled with shining determination and a steeled resolve. "You do, too, don't you?"

Nick couldn't help but grin. He said to her, "Carrots, you have a knack for seeing right through me. Have I ever told you that?"

"You said I'm the only one who can," Judy replied as she walked up to Nick, dropped a phone book on the floor, stepped onto it and kissed him.

"When do we go?" Nick asked.

"I talked to Bogo about it. He said go as soon as possible and look into the fire while we're out there. He suspects it was arson and I don't blame him for thinking so," Judy informed her vulpine husband.

"Sounds to me like Chief Buffalo Butt wants to take us for a test drive on a cold case. Are the full-time detectives really that busy? I mean, we're technically metropolitan patrol officers that double as detectives really, really, _really_ well," Nick voiced his opinion.

"Regardless of Chief Bogo's intentions, I want to look into that fire and bring Lucas some closure. I just hope we don't have to probe him about it…" Judy sighed, her empathy for the young fox fueling her curiosity. "We might just end up worsening his psyche…"

"Can we safely assume that parenting is like playing with fire?" Nick asked.

"Ask your mother," Judy retorted as she opened another box. "I really do want to adopt him…I want to take him under my wing and love him and comfort him and guide him and—"

Judy instantly stopped speaking when Nick gently placed his paws on her shoulders. In a low voice, he sent his offer into her ear: "Why don't we make it our honeymoon and go this weekend?"

"Okay," Judy obliged and looked at the photo that she had obtained with Lucas's file. The fox had big, blue eyes sparkling behind square-rimmed glasses and partially covered by thick bangs of long, orange fur. Those eyes called to her. They were longing and yearning.


	3. Meeting Lucas

**Hello, readers! I'm back! And yes, you are FINALLY going to meet the character that this story is based around! That's right! Lucas! He's finally here! It's been a busy past couple of weeks at college, which is why next to nothing beats a lazy Saturday. My only question is "Where does the time go?"**

 **At any rate, please enjoy Judy and Nick trying to get through to this borderline standalone orphan. Thank you for reading and please stay tuned.**

 **Chapter 3: Meeting Lucas**

Nick and Judy were on a train bound for Bunnyburrow, where they would then borrow Judy's father's pickup truck and drive out to the orphanage. Noticing that his wife was lost in thought, Nick asked, "Carrots? You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm alright," Judy replied, not looking at him. The night before, she was trying to imagine everything Lucas had gone through since the fire and fell asleep doing so. This, in turn, gave her a fantastical nightmare that was the equivalent to Mary Belly's 'Frankensheep', a masterpiece among horror stories. "I had a bad dream last night… But I keep thinking back to what Bogo said to me when he wanted me to look into the fire."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. Why would he care? Number one, he doesn't care about anything except getting the job done and possibly the new mayor—she seems like the chief's kind of female. Number two, it's not in the ZPD's field of jurisdiction, so it's not his job or ours," Nick pointed out to Judy, who finally looked up at him with a fierce look in her determined amethyst eyes.

"Because he told me something that was absolutely right," Judy responded.

 _Flashback…_

" _I see… So you and Wilde will need to take some time off to retrieve this boy and get him acclimated to the city. Is that correct?" Chief Bogo concluded, looking over Lucas's file with his reading glasses on._

" _Yes, sir," Judy confirmed. Getting called to the chief's office was like a student getting called into the principal's office unless the school's administration had a terrible disciplinary board._

" _While you're at it, why not look into this fire?" Bogo suggested. Judy looked perplexed. Before the rabbit could speak, the buffalo explained, "I know it's not exactly our realm, but I know you want to. And I think you should, but not as a cop. You're going to be this boy's mother. Don't you want justice for him?"_

 _Moved by Chief Bogo's shocking choice of words, Judy nearly burst into tears when she replied, "Almost as much as I want him to be happy…"_

" _Then if you meet any friction in this investigation, I will cover you. So will Mayor Lynx," the chief assured._

" _Thank you, sir…!" Judy sniffled in gratitude and saluted._

 _End of flashback…_

"He seeks justice in society, no matter what the constraints are," Judy summed up her conversation between herself and Bogo. She wringed her paws and leaned on Nick, who wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her lovingly.

"I love you, Fluff. And I can't wait to meet this kid," Nick whispered in Judy's ear. Judy nuzzled Nick back and they sat like that for the rest of the train ride. It went by faster than they realized.

The next thing they knew, Pop-Pop was waving his cane at Nick and Bonnie was hugging Judy, saying, "You're going to do so much good for this boy, honey, but are you really ready?"

"I have to be for Lucas's sake," Judy replied. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm ready."

"Jude's got the right idea and the natural instinct," Stu said, completely supportive of his daughter's decision. Stu smiled at Judy and held up the keys to his truck. "Bring us back a grandson, kiddo."

Judy let go of Bonnie as Stu tossed her the keys. Judy caught them and hugged Stu and thanked him profusely, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so, so, so much! I am so happy that I'm going to be a mother and Nick is finally going to be a father."

"Oh, yeah, Carrots, keep subtly rubbing in our age difference in my face," Nick mumbled with a smirk. He was hit in the head by Pop-Pop's cane. "Ow!"

"Be gone, foul demon! Be expelled!" Pop-Pop chanted angrily.

"I'm sorry, Nick," Bonnie quickly apologized as she got between the fox and the elderly rabbit. "Pop-Pop isn't entirely aware that he's not in the eighteenth century anymore. Pop-Pop, did you remember to go to the bank today?"

"Gosh darn it, why can't you do it?" Pop-Pop asked.

"Excuse me? I have 276 kids to worry about; I don't care of a fair amount of them are on their own now—I think you have more free time than I do!" Bonnie exclaimed in a huff. She faced Nick and said, "The truck is behind the house."

Judy ran to the Hopps residency and went around the back, Nick not far behind her. Judy thrust the key into the ignition and turned it. The truck's engine roared to life. Before putting the truck into gear, the rabbit asked her vulpine husband, "How do my ears look?"

"Like ears," Nick responded. Judy rolled her eyes, put the truck into gear and hit the gas.

It took them about half an hour to get to the orphanage, where they were greeted by a doe that Judy had made a few phone calls to earlier in the week. The doe greeted them, "Hello, there! Mr. and Mrs. Wilde?"

"That's us," Nick replied, wrapping an arm around Judy. "Where's the kid?"

"He's…locked himself in his room again. He's probably got his earbuds in, listening to Gazelle or a pop idol group," the doe replied, sighing in exasperation. "Follow me, please." The doe took them to a closed door and started knocking. "Lucas?" There was no response. She jiggled the knob. "It's unlocked!" Her tone of voice was surprised.

Nick and Judy glanced at each other as the doe opened the door. The room was dark. The light from the hall was shed on a baby blue room covered in posters of a variety of singers and bands, mostly female artists. A red fox wearing square-framed glasses and wearing a Gazelle T-Shirt and pajama pants with chipmunks on them was sitting on the floor, holding his head in his paws. Judy took one look at the boy and walked into the room, and then she kneeled down in front of him. "Lucas…?"

Lucas timidly looked up at Judy. There were those big, pleading sky blue eyes. Lucas trembled nervously, hugging his knees. He said nothing, but to Judy, his eyes, his body language and the scars on his wrist said it all. Nick knelt down next to Judy and greeted, "Hey, buddy? How are you?"

Lucas looked like he was undergoing a lot of anxiety inside. He seemed to settle down a bit seeing another fox. Maybe Nick reminded him of his biological father. Judy wasn't sure, but she knew that she and Nick needed to work together to get through to him.

"D-do you guys run a foster home…?" Lucas asked, very soft-spoken.

If there was ever a time that Judy was thankful for her keen hearing, it was right then. She spoke softly, trying not to startle him, "No, Lucas. We know you've had a rough time in foster care. You've seen things you shouldn't have seen, felt things no one should ever feel… Yeah, I admit, I've done my homework. I want to help you learn that it gets better."

"We both do," Nick added.

Lucas looked at Judy, then at Nick. Judy said to the fox, "Everyone needs a family… Someone to lean on… And that's something you've been denied for six long, painful years."

"…" Lucas said nothing, but he understood everything that was going on. Rubbing the scars on his left wrist, he seemed to contemplate their proposition.

"We don't need an immediate answer," Nick informed the younger fox. "We just think that you need someone to fall back on. You can't stay here forever. Once you're a legal adult, you're on your own."

"Won't I be anyway?" Lucas asked softly.

"That's different. You'll always have family in both the city and the country. Lucas…take our paws… You're not alone. You don't have to be alone anymore. Please…" Judy held out her paw to Lucas. Nick did the same.

"It'll be a rough transition. We know you'll be scared. You'll be okay," Nick assured.

"…" Lucas said nothing again, but he took their paws. Tears poured from his grateful blue eyes. Judy gave Lucas a tight hug, also crying tears of joy.

"This was the first step," Nick said with a satisfied smile before getting up and turning back to the doe. "Now, do you know of anyone who was nearby his house on the night of the fire?"

"I suppose I could look into some reports from his first foster home, but it was six years ago and those foster parents are in prison now," the doe answered as she was getting paperwork ready for Nick and Judy. "But why?"

"Because, as Lucas's new mom and dad, we want to bring the kid some closure and justice," Nick answered, looking back at Judy hugging Lucas.


	4. Meeting the Hopps Side

**Hello, readers! I know it's time for the next chapter. So, United States citizens reading this, who else is excited for Thanksgiving? Anyone?**

 **Okay, that's not relevant. I've really been getting into the** _ **Warriors**_ **book series lately. Yes, I know that isn't entirely relevant either, but it's such a good series!**

 **This is somewhat relevant: according to an online magazine, Taylor Swift said that if she could be an animal, she would be a fox. Coincidentally, there is a species of fox out there called the** _ **swift**_ **fox. This sounds like it'd be a great opportunity to make a Zootopia parallel of yet another artist (like, as cited from the movie, Guns N Rodents, Hyena Gomez, etc). Here's more of what you came here for. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4: Meeting the Hopps Side**

Nick was helping Lucas pack after filling out everything he needed to for the paperwork, leaving Judy to the rest of it. Lucas was holding an acoustic guitar. He looked at Nick. His movements reflected a flustered demeanor; he timidly hugged the guitar to his chest and looked away. Nick smiled and asked, "Do you play or is that just a wall decoration?"

"I-I play, but…" Lucas informed the older fox, soft-spoken like Nick expected. "N-not in front of others…"

"Why not? You're probably a natural," Nick asked, trying to be encouraging. Lucas shifted in place. His big, blue eyes darted from Nick to the guitar. Sighing, the older fox thought, _Well, Zootopia wasn't built in a day._

Much to Nick's surprise, though, Lucas went on to explain himself, "The last time I played in the open, my second foster father punished me for making too much noise." Nick's eyes widened at Lucas's explanation. He'd read about his second set of foster parents. The foster father was documented for his 'disciplining' methods being abusive, violent and even perverse. In other words, the male had gone out of his way to find excuses to justify doing whatever he wanted to the children under his roof. Nick wore a frown of disgust and hatred over the unjust pain that had been done to his new son on top of the pain of losing everything he had ever loved.

"Don't let what the creep ever said get to you. He's in jail now, right?" Nick asked. Lucas gave him a swift, nervous nod. Nick said, "Then don't worry! Your new mom loves noise anyway. Once she finishes the paperwork I started, you'll officially have an aunt who's obsessed with playing music! We're not going to do what he did to you—never!"

Lucas looked taken aback, as if he couldn't fathom why Nick was getting so worked up. Nick looked away, trying not to think about how much Lucas had gone through and how awful enduring it must have been. He hoped that he and Judy could gather some leads on how the house burned down. Lucas asked, "W-what do I call you guys?"

Taking a deep breath, putting his emotional mask on, Nick looked Lucas in the eye and kindly suggested, "How about Mom and Dad? I mean, that's the whole reason why we're here."

"O-okay… D-Dad?" Lucas tried the word, saying the word slowly as if it were foreign to him. He hadn't had a father in six years. Then, a small smile began to curl on his face. It was like he was a small child who had learned a new word. "Yeah… You're my dad now. Actually, you kind of remind me of my dad. You know…my biological dad?"

"Do I?" Nick asked playfully, starting to think he had made progress. Instead of diving into the topic of drawing comparisons, Nick thought it would be a better approach to ask Lucas something a father would typically ask. "So, son, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"…" Lucas began to grow flustered again and Nick started cursing himself inside while maintaining a cool exterior. Then, the younger fox spoke up once more. "I-I like DNA fingerprinting. M-maybe I can be a forensic scientist."

"Definitely!" Nick agreed. He had remembered learning a bit about DNA fingerprinting and the like from various sources, but he focused more on the forefront of law enforcement. Rightfully so; as a police officer, that's where his focus belonged. Though, a question weighed on his mind. There was more to Lucas than just a fascination with genetics. No one is that one-dimensional. "Why else?"

"To find righteousness for the people who need it," Lucas explained tersely.

Nick's gaze softened. It was as if everything about the adolescent fox suddenly made sense. Introverted as Lucas was, there was no denying that he was considerate and intelligent. For a second, Nick thought Lucas was going to say vengeance. In retrospect, though, he didn't seem to bare grudges. Otherwise, he wouldn't have seemed so bewildered by Nick's reaction to the comment about his second foster father. Physically and emotionally, this 14-year-old fox was scarred for life. He had every right to hate everything that happened and everyone who had wronged him. Instead, he was afraid of being wronged any further and burrowed his psyche in isolation. Lucas wasn't angry, just afraid, upset and emotionally shattered.

"Alright! Who's ready to pay a visit to Grandma, Grandpa and his 200-some-odd aunts and uncles?" Judy asked enthusiastically from the doorway. She wore a huge grin on her face.

"I'll call every so often to check in," the doe informed the Wildes.

It wasn't much longer before Lucas, now in a blue hoodie and jeans, Judy and Nick were driving Stu's pickup truck back to the family ranch. Lucas asked, "You live on a carrot farm?"

"I used to. Then I became a police officer and everything changed. Most of my family still lives here," Judy informed her new son. Inside, she was praying, _Please don't let Pop-Pop say something outwardly offensive to foxes in front of Lucas!_

Bonnie happily greeted the two foxes and her daughter at the door, but before she got a word in edgewise, many of her younger children began spilling out the door. Bonnie laughed, "I guess they're all excited to see their new nephew!"

Lucas, who was standing behind Judy with his guitar case on his back, looked very uncomfortable with all of the rabbits around him. He held his tail and trembled behind Judy, who said to her mother, "That's perfectly fine. I wanted him to get to know the family anyway. Speaking of which, is Gillian around? She and Lucas have an affinity for the guitar in common."

"Oh? I think Gillian's actually playing her guitar on the roof right now."

At the sound of her name, Gillian climbed down the side of the house and ran over, her guitar slung to her back. "Did someone call me? Hey, Judy!"

"Gillian, I have someone I want you to meet," Judy began and took Lucas's paw, taking him over to her. "This is my new son, Lucas."

"Hey, Lucas. The name's Gillian. Put her there!" Gillian greeted and held her paw out to Lucas, who awkwardly shook it. "So how old are you?"

"F-fourteen…" Lucas answered shyly, near inaudibly.

"I'm sixteen. I guess I've got a couple years on you. But you can call me 'big sister'! After all, I'm not that much older than you!" Gillian informed Lucas with a wink.

"I hope she doesn't introduce him to everyone individually," Nick muttered as he watched Judy introduce Lucas to Gillian.


	5. A Red-Eyed Vixen

**Good day, friends! I know it's been a while! Finals for college had be busy hitting the books and then Christmas being soon after didn't give me much time to write at alln(I hope everyone had a happy holiday). Then I went a little nuts binge-playing Pokémon Sun. It's such a well-done game! But this isn't exactly the right audience for a game review. In this chapter, we're getting Lucas settled into Zootopia. Please enjoy and I hope everyone has a happy New Year!**

 **Chapter 5: A Red-Eyed Vixen**

During the whole train ride back to Zootopia, Lucas sat between Nick and Judy, tightly hugging his backpack to his chest. Judy combed her paw through his thick, orange bangs, hoping that the slight and gentle tugs would ease the teenage fox's nerves. She felt bad that his social anxiety was acting up so much, though she knew it would be unavoidable. Nick kept thinking about what he'd read in Lucas's file. The kid had been neglected, violated and traumatized in more ways than Nick could imagine happening to a single mammal. Nick tried not to let it show, but this really got to him.

"H-hey, D-Dad…?" Lucas faintly spoke for the first time the entire train ride.

Nick felt the veil of awkwardness and tension get lifted off of their shoulders upon hearing the shy fox's voice. His green eyes met Lucas's blue eyes as he replied, "Yes, Lucas?"

"Y-you've lived in Zootopia all your life, right? What's it like?" the younger fox asked the older fox.

"Well, like every city, Zootopia has its flaws and dark side, but it's full of wonderful mammals. It's got its highs and lows, but the infrastructure is amazing! The civil engineers did something right in that. Just…don't ever cross Mr. Big. There are plenty of fellow foxes if you look hard enough," Nick started to regale Lucas with the pros and cons of his own fair city as best he could off the top of his head. "Um… Gazelle lives there. So do some other popstars you're interested in. We've got ZooU, too. It's a great school! It doesn't feel as big as it is, either."

"You know, we've got to get you registered for high school, too!" Judy exclaimed in realization.

"Um…f-from the incident up until now, I've always been homeschooled at the orphanage or in one of my foster homes…" Lucas informed the rabbit and the older fox.

Judy's thoughts lingered on Lucas saying 'incident'. There were a lot of things that had happened to him that would have been dubbed 'the incident', but Judy theorized that, in Lucas's mind, the worst of it all must have been the fire that started this downward spiral of misfortune. She told the 14-year-old, "That's going to change. For one thing, it means that you've been surviving, but hardly learning for the first two years since the fire. For another thing, you'll meet a bunch of kids your own age! You'll make friends and have an easier time adjusting to this big change in your life."

"M-Mom, I…" Lucas stuttered, but was cut off by the sensation of Judy grabbing his arm and gazing earnestly into his eyes.

"Lucas, please, you have to trust me," Judy insisted, wanting to get Lucas's paws wet in social interaction. "Savannah Central High School is a great school where you'll meet a diverse group of mammals and really feel at home."

"And yes, you _do_ have to go to school," Nick added slyly. Lucas looked at Judy, then at Nick, and then back at Judy, keeping a consistent gaze of fear and uncertainty, but then he nodded. Judy felt elated. This was one of many small victories that she would have in bringing Lucas up. She almost didn't hear Nick say, "Look, we're here already!"

Lucas slung his backpack onto his back and took up a suitcase. Nick also carried a suitcase and Judy led them off the train. The train station was packed and bustling with mammal activity. The Wilde family started wading through the crowd. Lucas could feel his social anxiety building up again. There were so many people! He would have been overwhelmed had he not been distracted by a female fox that he bumped into. She was wearing a crimson jacket and a floral dress underneath it. Her fur was a light orange and she had fur from her scalp that went down to her shoulder blades. Some locks of it even draped her shoulders. She had big, vermilion eyes that held Lucas's attention.

"I'm sorry. I should've watched where I was going," the she-fox apologized with a slight bow and a pleasant smile.

"N-no, it was my fault. I'm sorry," Lucas returned the apology with one of his own. "My name is Lucas. N-nice to meet you."

"My name's Ashira! It's a pleasure! You seem nervous. You look like you're about my age. Are you starting high school soon?" the vixen introduced herself and immediately asked. She seemed awfully energetic.

"Y-Yeah… In Savannah Central…" Lucas replied, taken aback by how excited Ashira seemed about meeting a new person. She was so giddy, so personable, so…cute! Adorable! Beautiful! Lucas felt his face start to grow hot. Her red eyes sparkled like rubies and her light orange fur glistened like the radiant sun. Her smile was sweet and, in its own way, iridescent. Lucas's mind ran wild! He had never felt that way about a female before.

"Me, too! I'm so nervous about my freshman year!" Ashira informed the he-fox, but she seemed more excited than nervous. "I don't really know what I want to do with my life, though. What do you want to do? Do you know?"

"I think I want to be a forensic scientist," Lucas responded. Ashira's face lit up with fascination. Lucas felt bad about pulling away now, but he told her, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I shouldn't keep my parents waiting…" Lucas gave Ashira a slight bow, similar to the one that she had given him when they bumped into each other.

"It was so nice meeting you! See you in school?" Ashira asked hopefully.

"D-d-d-d-definitely!" Lucas stammered and walked over to Judy and Nick, who were waiting for him at the giraffe juice stand. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"Oh, we don't mind waiting for young love. Now, if we had hailed a taxi, that'd be a different story," Nick gave Lucas a pat on the head and responded. On account of his past experiences, the younger fox instinctively ducked a bit. Judy's smile wavered. The reality of how badly neglected her adoptive kit was in the first foster home and how badly abused he was in the second one was really getting under her fur.

"I think it's simply perfect that you're making friends before school even starts!" Judy regained the strength to smile and told Lucas, wrapping an arm around him. "C'mon, let's go set up your new room!"


	6. Nick Knows Everyone

**Hello, friends, strangers, lovers of Zootopia! I'm here with the next chapter of A New Life. I hope everyone enjoys it.**

 **Chapter 6: Nick Knows Everyone**

Judy found herself and Lucas setting Lucas's room by themselves. Judy was standing on her son's bed, hanging up a poster of a chipmunk pop idol group when she suddenly asked herself, "Where'd Nick go?"

"Still on that errand, I guess…" Lucas theorized quietly.

Judy's foot rapidly thumped on Lucas's bed in frustration. On the cab ride home, Nick had mysteriously and abruptly gotten out and they had not been together since. Judy found it strange, even for Slick Nick.

 _Flaskback…_

 _The Wildes were on their way home by taxi. The ride was quiet for the most part. From left to right, when looking from the front of the cab, Nick, Lucas and Judy, along with some of Lucas's smaller bags, were sitting in the back. They were about halfway home from the train station when a skyscraper caught Nick's eye. The older fox spoke up, catching their leopard driver's attention, "Excuse me, ma'am, could you please pull over?"_

" _Certainly," the young leopard replied as she pulled up to the curb._

 _Nick got out and tossed an envelope onto Judy's lap, a smug smirk sitting comfortably on his face. Confused, Judy asked, "Where are you going? We have a son to settle in!"_

" _Can you handle that, Carrots? I just remembered that I have a very important errand to run and time is money. Speaking of which, what's in there should cover the cab fare and the tip for this lovely young she-leopard," Nick explained as he gently shut the door. Lucas glanced at the driver, who slouched, flustered by Nick's comment. She looked to be around Judy's age, from what Lucas could see in the mirror._

" _Whatever this errand is better be worth it," Judy sighed as she watched Nick wave back at them and nonchalantly stroll into the building._

 _End of flashback…_

"I don't know what kind of errand takes over four hours and is in a giant building?" the female rabbit muttered as she held up a figurine of a female fox in oriental clothing, holding a staff and striking a charismatic pose. "Where do you want this? Actually, what is this?"

"One of my favorite comic book heroes…" Lucas informed her as he gently took it from her grasp. "The girl I met earlier kind of reminded me of her. So nice…such a sparky personality… Beautiful eyes… A form befitting a young lady. Perfection."

"She seemed a little eccentric to me," Judy remarked, only to giggle at the hypocrisy of her own statement. She prayed that Ashira would be his friend. She hoped that they had a lot of classes together. Of course, it was important for Lucas to make several friends, but Judy wanted Lucas to start with one. Ashira seemed like a pleasant girl who could do the traumatized male a lot of good in social situations.

"Hmm?" Lucas faced Judy, bewildered by the giggling.

"You know, Lucas, I think that that Ashira girl is a good match for you if you're anything like your father," Judy told her son in her laughter. Those brilliant blue eyes went from bewildered to happy. Maybe breaking Lucas in would not be as hard as she and Nick thought.

Meanwhile, Nick was in an extravagant office that overlooked a good part of Savannah Central, talking to Elias Badgerton, a badger friend of his. Elias was an information broker. If he didn't know something, he'd find it with tactics so sly that sometimes they made even Nick shudder. The fox begged the badger, "Please, old buddy, there's got to be something you can do to help us find the perp."

"Is this for a case?" Elias asked, twirling a knife in his paw.

"No, no, not for a case…well, not for one on record. It's…become personal," Nick informed the badger, who had Lucas's file in front of him. "You see…we just adopted the kid."

"I should have figured as much…" Elias muttered and stopped twirling the knife. The badger's brown eyes were focused on the fear and anxiety in Lucas's big, blue eyes in the picture. "I've got to say, Wilde, I never knew you were the fatherly type."

"Honestly, me neither," Nick chuckled.

"And you need me because this is outside your jurisdiction," Elias said conclusively on the topic at hand.

"Affirmative. It's…just a matter of social justice at this point," Nick replied.

"Well, I don't know anything now, but I will look into it," Elias informed Nick. "Free of charge—not because of you, but because of the kid. That's a lot of damage for a kid his age to go through."

"Thankfully, the pervert who touched him is behind bars and the ones who neglected him and those other kids are trying to fight their way out of municipality lawsuits," Nick grumbled in a bittersweet tone. "Now if we could find the reason the fire started, we'd be all set."

"If my word means anything to you, I think the kid cares more about finding acceptance and compassion than social justice," Elias gave the fox his opinion. Nick stood up and held a silent gaze for fifteen seconds.

"Thank you so much for this, Elias," Nick thanked his friend before walking out the door without another word.

Nick got home about half an hour later, while Judy was making food for dinner. Lucas was quietly helping her, passing her ingredients that she would need and cleaning utensils as she finished using them. There was never a peep out of him. Nick whispered, "How is he?"

"He's making progress," Judy reported. "Did your 'errand' really have to take you that long?"

"I'm getting us some help from a fellow mammal-among-mammals," Nick informed his wife as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You know a guy like that?" Judy asked, feigning being unimpressed. Secretly, though, the number of mammals Nick seemed to know personally amazed her. It pays to know people.

"Of course. I mean, come on, I know everyone. You didn't forget that, did you?" Nick asked, giving Judy a small, loving nuzzle.

"How could I forget?" Judy replied, giving Nick a gentle nudge with her elbow. Lucas quietly watched on. Judy saw this out the corner of her eye and turned to face him. Invitingly, she encouraged, "C'mon over here! Let's have our first family group hug in our new home!"

Lucas seemed timid and uncertain at first, but he was starting to feel trust towards Judy and Nick. He was not entirely aware of it himself because he had not been able to fully trust another living soul for the past six years. Everything was so different, so new. Maybe it all was just what he needed. Step by step, he walked into Judy's embrace. Nick wrapped his arms around the both of them. Lucas felt his face grow hot.

"Isn't this nice?" Judy pleasantly asked. Her amethyst eyes beamed up at the teenage fox.

"Y-yeah," Lucas replied, his verbal response complimented by a shy nod. A faint smile made itself at home on his face. He hoped and prayed that these two police officers wouldn't give up on him or see him as broken or damaged goods. He wanted to be treated like family. He wanted to be treated the way he used to be treated until six years ago.


	7. The First Day

**Here's chapter 7! Sorry it's been a month, give or take. I hope everyone is having a nice day. Thank you all so much for reading! Now let's all take a look at Lucas's first day of high school! Also…I told you guys I'd think of a Zootopia equivalent to Taylor Swift! I've been working on this chapter since the 18** **th** **—it's been a busy weekend. Anyways, enjoy! Also, big thanks to my friend Alex for helping me figure out what sports one of my new OCs should play and to my girlfriend, known as TheGreatSakura on FanFiction, for helping me name another new OC. And wow, this has to be one of my longest chapters ever!**

 **Chapter 7: The First Day**

Judy and Nick had gotten Lucas registered for Savannah Central High School and the day where he would be a freshman finally came. Two weeks had gone by since the adoption, during which the orphanage called frequently to check on him. He had mostly spent time with his new parents when they were off work and he had even gone into the ZPD a couple of times. Officer Clawhauser had talked to him for a solid twenty minutes about Gazelle, the chipmunk bands and Hyena Gomez among other music artists that had made their names in pop history.

Lucas thought of his times at the police station and knew that today would be very different. He wouldn't be hiding in a cubicle or behind a desk in a building full of adults. He would be fully exposed in a building full of males and females within his age range. Wearing a blue hoodie and a pair of black cargo shorts, Lucas slung his backpack onto his shoulder. Judy, already in uniform, knocked on his bedroom door.

"How's my favorite high schooler?" Judy sang, unsuccessfully trying to psyche Lucas up as she knocked on his door. Lucas opened the door, a mix of dread and, thankfully, curiosity in his big, blue eyes.

"I-I'm fine…" Lucas reported as he opened the door. Judy smiled warmly at him, which ironically put him even more on edge. His tail swished from one side of him to another. "Do I have to change for gym?"

Judy could hear the paranoia resulting from the young fox's experiences well up in his voice. She didn't want to imagine what he had gone through because if she tried too much to envision it, she would burst into tears. She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to track down Lucas's second foster father and punch him in the throat, and retained her smile.

"Is he ready yet?" Nick, also in uniform, yawned. He was getting much more sleep than he did whenever he had spent the night in Judy's old apartment, but getting up so early was somewhat difficult. Even Judy's twin sister, Amber, was amazed at how energetic Judy was at the crack of dawn. Nick's eyes widened with pleasure at the sight of Lucas ready for school. Maybe it was just the thought of being able to send a kid he could call his own off to school that elated him so much. With soft emerald eyes, Nick complimented his adoptive son, "You look great, kiddo."

"Thanks, Dad…" Lucas mumbled, his larimar blue eyes shining with hope. To Nick and Judy's surprise, the younger fox ran up to them and hugged them tightly. He sniffled, "Thank you both so much!"

"Aww, hon…" Judy sighed happily, hugging Lucas back. "Do you have the new phone we got you?"

"Mm-hmm!" Lucas confirmed, nodding.

"Do you have your lunch?" Nick asked, rubbing Lucas's bangs with his paw.

"It's in the fridge," the blue-eyed fox reported.

"Go get it," Nick said as he gave Lucas a pat on the back. As Lucas went into the kitchen, Nick looked at Judy and asked, "Let's get the Chief to ask out Mayor Lynx."

"She is his kind of female," Judy mused. She looked at the various posters on Lucas's wall. There were a few of a chipmunk girl band and even a couple of a chipmunk boy band. He had several Gazelle posters, a Hyena Gomez poster and a Tailor Swift-Fox poster. There was even an unused sticker of a gray feline idol that Judy had never heard of before.

"You'd probably understand his taste better than I would. This is after my time," Nick nudged Judy and informed her.

"Oh, please, I'd say that your time is now," Judy teased and lightly tapped Nick on the nose as she walked away from the room.

Once Lucas was sure he had everything he would need for the day, he left home and got on the school-bound bus. So many mammals his age… He was too nervous to interact with any of them, so he made a beeline for the first open two-seater he saw. He quickly situated himself in the seat and checked his iPhony. He did not want to be late, so he guessed he would just have to trust the bus to get him to school on time.

The seats were small, which is why Lucas found himself thanking God for his skinny body. When the next stop rolled around, a few students got on. A buck walked up to Lucas and asked, "Is it alright if I sit with you?"

Lucas looked up at the male deer. He was a tall, slender fellow wearing a pastel green V-neck t-shirt and blue jeans. He had a light brown muzzle, but the rest of him was a darker shade of brown. He had vibrant orange eyes and a gentle smile. He was wearing a rainbow wristband and his antlers were small, but noteworthy. There were white speckles on the back of his neck. Digging deep for courage, Lucas shyly answered, "S-sure…"

"The name is Hunter. Hunter Stagson. What's your name?" the deer introduced himself.

"L-Lucas… Lucas Wilde…" Lucas timidly reciprocated the introduction.

"Nice to meet you!" Hunter extended his hoof to Lucas, who hesitantly shook it. "What year are you?"

"I-I'm a freshman…" Lucas informed the deer. He wasn't used to being asked so much consecutively. Everyone at the orphanage thought he was a weirdo and let him mind his own business. He had been able to pick up social cues only because when he had to be in common spaces with the other kids, he had quietly observed them as they all pretended he wasn't there. For a while, he wondered if he even existed.

"Me, too! This is going to be so awesome! We're going to hang out, talk about classmates that we like—I'm more into males myself—and we can watch movies and all that other fun stuff!" Hunter excitedly exclaimed.

Lucas suddenly reminded Ashira, the girl who currently had his heart strings tightly wound around her finger. He asked the deer, "D-do you know a fox named Ashira by any chance?"

"Ashira Foxy? Yeah, I know her. She's a real pistol, I tell ya! She's so much fun, a little crazy, but she's really caring over all. You've met her?" Hunter informed him.

"Y-yeah…at the train station when I first moved here…" Lucas informed his classmate.

"You're getting all flustered, Lucas. Do you like her?" Hunter asked teasingly. Lucas slouched a bit in his seat and felt his face grow hot. Without a verbal response, he shrugged. Hunter kept his expectant orange gaze on him.

"I-I've never felt this way before…" Lucas mumbled.

"Dude, you so like her!" Hunter exclaimed and ducked a bit so he could look Lucas in the eye. "So…do you want to be friends?"

"Um…" Lucas mumbled. "D-do you mind me being shy…?" He was subconsciously rubbing his scarred wrist. He looked down at his paws and stopped.

"Not at all," Hunter warmly said and glanced down at Lucas's wrist. His smile faded. "Is…everything okay?"

"Yeah… These are old…" Lucas admitted, avoiding eye contact. "They're just memories now."

"I hope so. I don't want my brand new friend to be suffering," Hunter consolingly said. "I'm sure Ashira likes you, too. What's not to like? You seem like a smart guy and…you have really beautiful eyes."

"Th-thank you," Lucas stuttered. He had been told that before. Someone once told him that he had lapis lazuli eyes.

On the bus ride over, Hunter and Lucas had discovered that they had the same homeroom teacher. They got to school and headed went to their assigned lockers. On the way to his assigned locker, Lucas got hit in the face by a kangaroo opening his locker. Ashira, whose locker was right next to Lucas's, ran over to him and helped him up. The kangaroo apologized profusely, "I am so sorry! I guess I didn't see you! Gosh, are you okay?"

"Lucas, how many fingers am I holding up?" Ashira asked and held up two fingers.

"Two…" Lucas groaned and held his head. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that Ashira was making physical contact with him. His tail wagged slowly.

"I am so sorry, little fox," the kangaroo apologized. "Do you want me to take you to the nurse's office?"

"It's alright, really," Lucas insisted as he stood up, still a bit dizzy from the impact. "I just want to practice my combo a couple of times before homeroom." Ashira stayed by him the entire time he stumbled to his locker. Her presence made Lucas's heart pound in his chest. Lucas's and Ashira's lockers were just a few lockers over from where Lucas had been hit in the face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ashira concernedly asked.

"Yeah. I'm not bleeding am I?"

"No."

"I didn't see you on the bus. Do you take a different bus?" Lucas inquired curiously as he spun the combination lock (which is actually a permutation lock, but combination lock rolls off the tongue nicer, anyway).

"No," Ashira answered as she shook her head, her light orange locks flying to the motion of her head. "My big sister and her boyfriend drove me and an old goat gave my sister's boyfriend his old car as thanks for always helping him with groceries and stuff. They're seniors this year, my sister and her boo. Honestly, they're so cute together! Next year, I'll need to figure something out. Honestly, buses get too crowded."

"I didn't think it was so bad. I mean, I think Hunter broke through my shell a little," Lucas claimed. He knew he was basically a standalone, isolated in his mind. Mammals like Ashira and Hunter, though he had barely known them, were slowly breaking down the walls of isolation.

"I thought you seemed a little more open today," Ashira commented with a playful smirk as she leaned on her locker.

"How do you mean?" Lucas asked as he opened his locker and closed it again.

"When we met, you seemed super excited and super nervous. It was almost like you were holding something back. And I can tell that you've suffered," Ashira claimed. Lucas's eyes widened and he fixed his blue gaze on her face. "We all have, in different ways and to different extremes. If someone hasn't, they will. That's why we have each other. Do you have a phone?"

"Y-yeah…" Lucas replied, taken aback by the depth of Ashira's statement. She was absolutely right and it almost brought him to tears. "I-I just got my first one."

"Oh, my gosh, congratulations! Here, let's trade numbers!" Ashira offered.

"Count me in," Hunter chimed in as he strutted over.

"Oh, Hunter! I haven't really spoken to you since middle school! How was your summer?" Ashira asked pleasantly.

"It went by way too quick. How about yours?" Hunter asked. Lucas could easily see that the two have been acquainted for a while, at least since early middle school.

"Pretty good. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Rina's nervous about applying to colleges. Suiko still won't move her bangs out of her eyes. Grandma was having scream fights with my brother over the phone, but my oldest sister just got engaged," Ashira reported. The red-eyed vixen turned to Lucas and said, "Yep! I'm the youngest of five!"

"What's that like?" Lucas asked as the trio started walking to homeroom.

"Oh, it's interesting with my family. My oldest sister, Inari, is the pride and joy of the family. She's a little insane, though," Ashira nonchalantly informed the males. "She's great at networking; I swear it's like she knows everyone!"

 _That sounds like both of my dads, past and present…_ Lucas thought, but kept the words within himself.

"And she's engaged now?" Hunter asked as they all rounded the corner and turned into a classroom.

"Yeah. Given what a live wire Big Sis Inari is, her fiancé is perfect for her. He keeps her paws on the ground," Ashira informed them. "He's got this abnormal fur pattern that I think looks really cool. He looks like a fox with tiger fur. Incidentally, Rina, the fourth born child, is dating a really buff tiger."

The deer and two foxes sat at three adjacent desks and Lucas absentmindedly rubbed his sore head. The kangaroo from before sat down behind Lucas and apologized, "Look, man, I really am so sorry…"

Lucas hadn't realized that the kangaroo had been behind him until he had spoken up, so hearing the voice behind him had startled him. His tail fur puffed up a bit due to the shock and Ashira giggled. Lucas turned around and rigidly said, "N-no, it was my fault. I should have looked where I was going."

"This is Joey. He was the star athlete of our middle school," Hunter introduced Lucas to the kangaroo.

"Pleased to meet you, mate!" Joey exclaimed and held out his paw. Lucas hesitantly shook it.

"He says he's a little shy, Joe," Hunter reported. Lucas couldn't deny it.

"I…didn't have any good friends growing up, so…" Lucas mumbled. Part of him wanted to tell them all about his past, how his parents died in a house fire, how he was neglected, abused and emotionally abandoned and how he kept himself in isolation for years because he was afraid to go through it all again. Another part of him told him not to for fear of scaring away these mammals who were taking the time to interact with him. The latter part won.

"Aww… Well, if it means anything, you have us now," Ashira pointed out consolingly. Lucas felt his tail start to wag. He couldn't help it. Hearing her say that was music to his ears.

"Besides, you already said you and I could be friends," Hunter reminded Lucas as he wrapped an arm around him.

"Y-yeah, I know," Lucas assured with a small smile on his face. "So, um…Joey, what sports do you play?"

"Well, in the fall, I play soccer in the fall, water polo in the winter, golf in the spring, rowing in the summer and I'm in a bowling league on the side," Joey informed Lucas. Ashira and Hunter looked surprised, so Lucas assumed that at least one or two of the mentioned sports had not been made aware to them.

"Um…are there any sports you don't…particularly like?" Lucas carefully, yet curiously asked.

"I'm not a huge fan of boxing, honestly," Joey admitted and shrugged. "Say, Hunter, have you found anyone yet?"

"Nah…" Hunter glumly answered.

"You will. I'm sure of it. I just met you and I know any male would be lucky to have you," Lucas said confidently. He didn't even think about it. The words just flew out of his mouth.

"Yeah, Lucas is right!" Ashira agreed. "We're all bound to find someone and fall in love! Joey, just don't ram into her boat."

"Ah, shove it," Joey said as he rolled his eyes and Ashira playfully punched his arm. Lucas smiled. Before he knew it, he was making friends. They homeroom teacher, a pangolin, walked into class and waddled to his desk.

Meanwhile, Judy and Nick went to the hospital to visit the victim of a violent robbery that they stopped. Judy walked over to her sister, Amber, who had recently been recruited into the hospital that she had interned with for an extended period of time. The first thing Amber said was, "How's Lucas?"

"He's good. How's the patient?" Judy asked.

"A little roughed up, but otherwise alright. He's tough. Apparently, he's a veteran," Amber reported. Judy glanced down at Amber's paws and grabbed her left paw. There was a silver ring on her middle finger. "Judy!"

"You're engaged?!" Judy ecstatically exclaimed.

"Yes! Finnick proposed to me!" Amber confirmed, then realized why Judy was so shocked. "Oh, yeah, I guess he doesn't seem like the marital type to most."

"Most? Before you, he's never been with the same female more than once!" Judy reminded her fraternal twin. "What were we talking about before?"

"I was asking about Lucas," Amber stated.

"Oh, yeah. He started high school today! Oh, I hope he's okay. He was really nervous about changing for gym. I'll feel so bad if this doesn't go well!"

"Judy, this will be good for him. It'll be difficult and he may not open up to anyone today, but at the very least, he needs exposure to other kids. Just keep this in mind if his first day isn't so great."

"You're right…and a fiancée. You're a right fiancée," Judy said observantly.

"I was hoping to keep it a secret for a week or two and surprise everyone…" Amber mumbled as her ears drooped.

"If it's any consolation, I'm surprised now," Judy stated innocently.

Nick found Finnick leaning on a wall, wearing a black trench coat. Finnick, due to his childlike stature and impressive combat skills and pliability, was instantly made a key member of a brand new black ops unit for deterring and contrasting crime that was a level above normal policing. The taller fox said to the fennec, "I never thought you'd do it. You actually popped the question."

"Yeah, well…" Finnick muttered. "How's your kid?"

"Not having a heart attack, I hope," Nick sighed and leaned on the wall next to him.

"You know, some countries think of heart attacks as a coming of age ceremony," Finnick informed Nick.

"Yeah, and those countries' cars probably spontaneously catch fire in people's driveways," Nick hypothesized. "What kind of country would that be?"

"One that's run by someone who just likes to mess with people," Finnick answered. "That ring was my grandma's, you know."

"Her funeral is probably the _only_ time I've ever seen you cry, my friend," Nick retrospectively recalled.

"Never speak of it!" Finnick growled lowly.

"Got it," Nick assured. Nick glanced down at his phone and saw he got a text from Elias. The fox cop decided he would look at the message later, when the time and place were better.

"I wonder those two are talking about," Judy wondered aloud.

"Probably talking about burning bridges at fast food restaurants. Guys are weird," Amber theorized. Judy gave her a skeptic look with a raised brow. "What?"

"That was our next door neighbor," Judy reminded Amber.

"You have fast food in Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked as he and Finnick walked over.

"Nick, we're country girls, not cave bunnies," Judy answered. Nick chuckled and rested an arm on Judy's head. "Nick, remember that butterfly dream I had the first night you stayed over?"

"Yeah. Why?" Nick responding, recalling Judy telling him about a dream that she had the first time he'd spent the night. She had butterfly wings and he was there and he had taken her to a meadow. Nick tried to understand why Judy had such a deep fascination, but eventually gave up because that well just kept going deeper and deeper.

"When does Lucas have gym?" Judy asked, trying to remember what their son's schedule was like.

"I don't remember. Why? Are you worried he's going to be uncomfortable changing for gym?" Nick asked, crossing his arms. "Of course he'll be uncomfortable; high school locker rooms are awkward, sweaty cesspools of arguably criminal hygiene and towel whipping."

"It's different for him! H-he was—" Judy stammered.

"I read his file, too, Carrots. He may have paid his debt to society, but he'll never pay his debt to the child he scarred," Nick cut her off, not wanting to hear anymore. Every time Nick thought of how Lucas's second foster father abused the poor kid, he shuddered.

Meanwhile, Lucas, Joey and Hunter all had gym at the same time and were changing in the males' locker room, which was marked with the male gender symbol. Lucas spent several minutes looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was staring at him.

"You like this, Stagson?" Lucas heard someone jeer. He looked to his right and his blue eyes widened when he saw a porcupine, a zebra and a vole teasing Hunter. The fox nudged his kangaroo friend and pointed. They exchanged nods and went over.

"Hunter, come change with us. Gym is more fun in a pack anyway," Joey suggested as he pulled the deer over. Lucas shot the trio a dirty glare, wishing he had done more to help his new friend, before going back over to Joey and Hunter.

"What was that about?" Lucas asked, having never seen hazing like that before.

"That was harassment by a bunch of close-minded snobs who think this is the eighteenth century, mate," Joey informed the fox.

"They think that there's something wrong with me… Just because of the way I am and what I'm into," Hunter sighed.

"Oh, sure! Hide behind Joey Marco and—and this kid!" the zebra sneered.

"He's heard enough and I'm sick of the sound of your voice," Joey called back.

"Hunter, there is nothing wrong with you," Lucas dug deep inside him for the courage to speak up again and consoled his friend. "You'll find a guy who will be lucky to have you. They just don't get you. Heck, they're not even trying!"

"Thanks, Lucas!" Hunter delightedly thanked the fox as his orange eyes regained their radiance. "And Ashira's crazy if she doesn't fall head over paws for you."

"N-not so loud, okay?" a flustered Lucas protested as he took his cargo shorts off and put on a pair of red gym shorts. His blue hoodie stayed on.

"Shouldn't you take that off, mate? It's September," Joey advised. "Usually mid-October is when the cool season weather starts to set in."

"I'll be fine in this," Lucas insisted insecurely. Joey and Hunter exchanged unsure glances. Soon enough, all the males and females gathered in the gymnasium and separated into their respective classes. Joey was in a sport-oriented physical education class, while Ashira, Lucas and Hunter were all in the same general physical education class. Lucas was glad that a fairly notable portion of his schedule overlapped with those of the mammals he was starting to get to know. Something that he found very ironic was that he was in the same biology class as Ashira.

Lucas, Ashira and Hunter's class went outside for their gym class activities. The first day, they were doing physical fitness testing, partially so their teacher could learn all of their names. The first thing they did was sit-ups on the field. Lucas wanted to partner with Ashira and count her sit-ups, but Lucas noticed that the zebra from the locker room was in their class. For fear of Hunter being harassed again, Lucas partnered with him.

The next thing they did was the fifty-yard dash, in which pairs raced each other and the clock down fifty yards of the field. This time, Lucas partnered with Ashira. They both were close, Lucas ahead by just a snout length. Then came the mile. Four laps around the track. Many just walked, not wanting to exert themselves in running. Some split up walking and running. Hunter and the zebra were running the entire way. Lucas had decided he was going to the same. He wanted to prove to himself that he belonged to be here and that he deserved to be among his peers even though his past was so different from most of theirs. The hoodie was holding in a lot of the heat that his body was radiating and he was heavily panting in his third lap. He had gone too fast in the first two laps.

 _Just a little more… Do it! Do it!_ Lucas kept forcing himself onward. He forced himself to keep running. It was as if his life depended on it. He thought back to when he was eight and his house was on fire. He ran as fast as he could to the nearest neighbor's house to call the fire department, but by the time they had arrived, it was too late. The house had become little more than a mountain of ash. Lucas remembered wanting to run, feeling horrified. He wanted to run away from reality. Was it the same now as back then, or was he running towards something this time?

He was on his last lap now, continuing to force himself to run as fast as he could. Each meter felt like it took forever to complete, but he kept going. Something inside him told him that he had to go on. He had crossed the finish line, third in his class to complete the mile, and collapsed face first. He couldn't stop panting. What happened next was a blur, but time seemed to speed up as he lied still on the track. He felt someone roll him onto his back. Then, trauma-influenced panic welled up within him as he felt someone take off his hoodie, but no more clothes were removed after that.

"How could you let yourself get so dehydrated?" a female's voice asked him. It was Ashira. Was she…worried about him? Lucas's dazed blue eyes were wide as the full moon when he realized that his head was on her lap. "Are you crazy?"

"If only you knew…" Lucas mumbled. Hunter came over with a bottle of water. He had hung Lucas's sweatshirt on a nearby metal bench.

Ashira, who was positioned at Lucas's right side, reached across for his left arm so she could check his pulse. She saw the scars on his wrist. He thought she would be appalled, but to his surprise, she said, "You're not alone anymore…" Had she seen right through him?

"Drink, Lucas," Hunter instructed and Lucas graciously accepted the water bottle and downed the whole thing. Hunter playfully teased, "Or should I start calling you Wilde Thing?"

"Seriously, you could have had heat stroke. But…you were so…impressive out there. You just need to learn to pace yourself and you could run long distance," Ashira commended Lucas for his effort.

"I…I've never really interacted with mammals my own age before…You guys won't…get scared off, will you?" Lucas asked carefully.

"What? Don't be ridiculous! I've wanted to get to know you better since that day at the train station," Ashira informed him.

"And we already promised to be friends, dude," Hunter reminded him. Lucas smiled as Hunter helped him up and Ashira took him to the nurse's office. Hunter got Lucas's things from the locker room and dropped them off at the nurse's office.

The nurse, a pika named Ms. Forrest, said to him, "You should be fine, Mr. Wilde, but be wary about your fluids. Drink your water."

"Y-yes, ma'am…" Lucas replied timidly.

"Why would you keep this sweatshirt on?" Ashira asked as she handed Lucas the blue hoodie that Hunter had retrieved from the bench.

"I…get a little insecure about…myself," Lucas admitted awkwardly.

"You mean your cuts?"

"It's more than that…" Lucas softly rasped, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Tell me, please… Lucas, I'm scared to think about what could have driven you to do this to yourself," Ashira confessed, "but I won't run and bail on you."

Breaking down into sobs, Lucas started to tell her everything from the housefire all the way up to the day they had met at the train station. The horror of his parents dying had haunted him always. The neglectful first foster parents did not often feed him and the other foster children, let alone aid in the coping process. The foster father in the second home made it worse by abusing and assaulting him. The third foster home had given up on his case. He had hid himself from others in the orphanage because he was afraid of being hurt again. Then, like angels from heaven, Nick and Judy had appeared and something inside him told him to have faith in them, so he accepted their offer to become a part of their family. He told her about how he had hoped that she would become someone significant in his life since that day at the train station. When he finished, he sobbed, "Now do you see why I'm like this?"

"…I don't know what you mean. Considering all you've went through, you're pretty strong to be standing here today, telling me all of this," Ashira sniffled and hugged Lucas. For the first time in a long time, the male fox felt at peace with himself.

"C-can we be lab partners in bio?" Lucas sheepishly asked.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Ashira warmly replied.

After getting through all of his classes, Lucas went home with a big smile on his face. Judy stood in the doorway, waiting nervously, still in uniform. The rabbit asked, "How'd it go?"

"Great! I made friends and I almost got heat stroke!" Lucas informed her as he hugged her and went inside.

"Yeah, Ms. Forrest told me all about that…" Judy muttered. She was happy that Lucas had made friends and even happier that he was alright, but getting a call from the nurse on the very first day of school nearly gave her a heart attack.


	8. Spencer and Elias

**Here's the next chapter! Oh, my gosh, I am so excited to be writing again! This spring break has been a little busier, both physically and psychologically, than I had wanted. I haven't been updating as frequently as I had hoped. I think part of it is also because I've been logging in chapters and one-shots into DeviantArt as well, under the name Carnelian-Fox. Who likes my new pen name? I do!**

 **At any rate, I can claim the new OC, Spencer Dewclaw, in this chapter. He was inspired by Shizuo Heiwajima from Durarara! Such a good show. If you're an anime fan, give it a try! And yes, cougars are also known as mountain lions. And per the request of Revan Alek Shan, I'm adding his OC, Kivuli, in the story. Right now, he'll be making more of a cameo appearance until I can better develop his role. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 8: Spencer and Elias**

The very next day, Lucas sat down in the same seat he had claimed yesterday and eagerly awaited Hunter's arrival at the next soon as the bus made its next stop and the dear got on, Lucas's eyes lit up and he gave a small wave to the deer. Delighted, Hunter went over to Lucas and plopped down beside him. The deer sighed, "I'm so glad you're okay…"

"You were worried about me?" Lucas asked. "I'm fine."

"Really? You looked like you had been in tears. Ashira, too. And you could have done some serious damage to your body!" Hunter chided. His face softened a bit. "And…thank you for yesterday…in the locker room."

"I didn't do much. It was all Joey," Lucas mumbled, turning his head to out the window.

"You got him, didn't you?" Hunter asked, hoping to get Lucas to know how appreciative he was.

A little voice inside Lucas's head started calling him a coward for he himself had not spoken up against the bigotry. The fox had possible replies rolling around in his head, but they all washed away when he saw a vending machine in the air off in the distance. "What the…?"

"Spencer's at it again," Hunter informed the bewildered fox.

"Who's Spencer?" Lucas couldn't help but ask. Seeing a vending machine was new for him. He had been in the city for two weeks and had seen all sorts of things since he had arrived—none of which compared to that.

"Spencer Dewclaw, the strongest mammal in Zootopia. You know how doctors think that there's a limiter in our brains that keep us from overexerting ourselves all the time?" Hunter began to explain.

"Yeah," Lucas replied, having an instinctual inkling as to what his friend was going to say next.

"Yeah, this cougar doesn't have that," Hunter finished. "And he's got it out for an info broker named Elias Badgerton. And that's a two-way street. Honestly, I think they see each other as rivals because they have nothing better to do."

"And that constitutes a rivalry?!" Lucas exclaimed in shock. He had never heard of such reasoning before.

"They're both pretty nice, but really…unstable," Hunter continued to explain.

"Unstable?" Lucas echoed.

"Unpredictable. They've been known to go above and beyond. Why don't I introduce you later?" Hunter offered.

"I, um…" Lucas mumbled. He had been doing better with meeting new people, but his social anxieties were still a prevalent factor in his psyche and his life.

"It'll be good for you," Hunter urged. "And what did you and Ashira talk about yesterday? Lucas, I…I don't want to pry, but…"

"I guess I'll have to explain my situation to you eventually," Lucas mumbled, looking darkly at his antlered friend. "But you might not want to be my friend if I tell you." He didn't want to chase Hunter away. He didn't want to say anything, but he owed it to Hunter to let him in. Hopefully, he would have been understanding like Ashira. Still, his reluctance lingered. Lucas took a deep breath and began, "I'm damaged goods. It all started when I was eight and—"

"Stop forcing yourself," Hunter cut him off. He smiled warmly at his vulpine friend. "You're surprised I can tell? I don't want you to force yourself to tell me what it is on your mind. It's really weighing on your mind, though."

"It's been one thing after another. I still think I'm really lucky…" Lucas sighed. He started to see Hunter's interruption as a blessing in disguise. Once again letting his options roll around in his head, he said, "How about I just tell you a little bit at a time?"

"I'd like that, but only if you agree to meet Elias and Spencer," Hunter bargained with a cheeky grin. Lucas gave him a nod of agreement. His tail wagged a little. So many of the new mammals in his life—his new parents, Hunter, Ashira and Joey—had done little things for him that had made a huge impact. Every time, he had felt saved from his past and his inner demons. The 14-year-old fox still heard a voice in the back of his mind call him a coward for not saying anything even now, but he did his best to ignore it.

Lucas never really said anything when he needed to do so. Like Nick and Judy, every foster home he had ever been through only heard his story through some documents in a little folder with his name on it. After every foster home, a few more pages were added. All the first couple knew about him was the fire, so they took him in. They didn't really follow through, however. As a result, Lucas and several other orphans weighed the same amount on their ninth birthdays as they had when they were six or seven at best. He hadn't had the courage to speak, so his stomach spoke for him.

The second couple that took Lucas and some of the other orphans in fed them more than the first set of foster parents, but the foster father had used and abused him; treated him like a toy, an object, a doll. Lucas had been beaten and violated by the one who was supposed to be looking out for him. Most of all, Lucas had been degraded by him, devalued by him and fooled by him. Lucas had been fooled into thinking that what he was born for was to pleasure a sadist at the expense of his own mental health. He had begun to hate himself for it, but he hadn't had the courage to speak then, either. The fresh cuts he had made spoke for him.

The third couple took him in, but kicked him out within a year. They had said that their home was a foster home, not a psychiatric hospital. They had grown tired of him flinching whenever someone went to give him a high-five. They had grown tired of his nightmares about the fire. They had taken it personally when he struggled to trust anyone. They had the Little Kits Orphanage take him away. He had felt abandoned, but he never told anyone in the orphanage about his experiences in the foster homes. The disparity in his brilliant blue eyes spoke for him.

He hid all his ache and pain within himself in solitude. Complications had shrouded his days black for six long years. Those years were the era in his life where he worried that his life would shatter and fall apart at the drop of a hat. Yet, he never spoke up about the hell inside his head before yesterday.

"Lucas. Lucas. Lucas!" Hunter spoke his friend's name several times, shaking him a little. "Hey, man, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Lucas muttered. "Just daydreaming." He went to wipe his face with his paw when he realized that he had been crying all the while thinking about how he had bottled everything up for six years. Ashira was his breakthrough; she had been the first one to hear Lucas's story from his own snout and not some pile of paper enshrined in a beige office folder.

"You sure?" Hunter asked, his orange gaze filled with concern and a hint of confusion.

Lucas could only shake his head. He took in a deep breath and asked, "When can we meet Elias and Spencer?"

"Right after school, if you want. Their antics are what make it a regular day in Zootopia," Hunter answered. He wrapped his arms around the fox and whispered, "Don't take this the wrong way because I really want you and Ashira together—almost as much as you do—but you look like you need this and I want to be the one to give it to you."

"Thanks, Hunter," Lucas sniffled. "I needed that. Hey, can you please tell me more about this Spencer guy?"

"Well…he claims he hates violence," Hunter said, trying his best to sound convincing.

"Oh, yeah, every peace lover has a short fuse and uproots a PO box when angered," the lion behind them sarcastically remarked. Hunter and Lucas looked behind them to see a brown lion wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. "You guys are freshmen, right? I'm Kivuli."

"I'm Hunter! Hey, I think I remember you from middle school!" Hunter exclaimed as he introduced himself. "You're in the grade above us!"

"That's right," Kivuli said. "I'm a sophomore." He turned his attention to Lucas. "And you?"

"Lucas…" Lucas replied, swishing his fluffy tail into his arms and hugging it like a security blanket.

"Nice to meet you. Speaking of which, stand back about twelve feet when you meet Spence," Kivuli advised.

"How come he's never been arrested?" Lucas asked, wondering how such destruction goes without punishment.

"He and the bar he works at always pay for the damages. Besides, what judge is going to believe that a single cougar ripped a light pole out of the ground and hurled it halfway across Savannah Central?" Kivuli asked.

"I guess you have a point," Lucas conceded.

The school day came and went, thankfully without incident. As soon as the bell rang, Hunter, Ashira and Lucas got ready to go downtown. Lucas texted Judy 'Going to be late. Ashira and Hunter are taking me downtown.'

'We have a late patrol anyway and Dad has an errand to run. See you soon. XO' was Judy's response. Lucas smiled. Judy reminded him a bit of his biological mother, from what he could remember. The only differences that came to mind off the bat were that Judy wasn't a fox and was considerably younger than his mother had been.

"C'mon, let's go!" Hunter urged excitedly.

"What about Joey?" Lucas asked.

"He has soccer practice. He'll either catch up or go home to shower," Ashira informed Lucas. She gazed at him with soft scarlet eyes. Lucas's face heated up from her the gentle gleam in those beautiful eyes. Ashira wasn't going to run away from Lucas's problems. He could see that in her and it elated him. The trio went to a bus stop and boarded a city bus to downtown Savannah Central. The bus ride was quick, giving Lucas just enough time to be thankful for having friends with him. Had he been alone, he might have ended up having an anxiety attack.

They got down to a small crowd of people. A tall, blonde cougar wearing sunglasses and a bartender's uniform was standing seven feet away from a badger in a black overcoat. The mountain lion, Spencer Dewclaw, swiped at the badger, Elias Badgerton. Elias dodged and swiped back. Spender took half a step back to dodge and threw a kick with his long legs. Elias ducked and, in that instant, saw Lucas.

"Well, this is a surprise!" Elias exclaimed with a fascinated grin as he rolled over to Lucas, Ashira and Hunter. He stood up and greeted, "Lucas Wilde, I've been dying to meet you!"

"Hey, don't you look away from me, you devious weasel!" Spencer growled, but his grimace softened into confusion when he saw the trio. "Ashira? What are you doing here?"

"Spence!" Ashira exclaimed and leaped into his arms. With a huge grin, she asked, "How are you?"

"You guys know each other?" Lucas asked, backing up a little to give himself some space.

"Mm-hmm! My big sister Inari is a regular at his bar!" Ashira affirmatively informed him.

"How do you do?" Spencer asked as he gently let Ashira down.

"Stop in the name of the law!" a female's voice called out. Lucas knew that voice. It was Judy. She, Nick, Officer McHorn and Officer Wolfard were chasing a group of six thugs down the street.

"I was hoping they'd show up," Elias muttered and checked his watch. "A little early, though."

"Out of the way, pred!" a ram bleated and hit Spencer over the head with a wooden baseball bat from behind.

The cougar didn't budge. Instead, he whirled around and there was rage in his eyes. He grabbed the bat and snapped it with one paw. Spencer got in the ram's face and asked, "You know you could have killed me, right? Or hurt this little fox girl?"

"Um…" the ram hesitated. His friends stopped dead behind him.

"You guys are a gang, right? Judging by the bat and the cops on your tails, you just committed an armed robbery. You know what I hate almost as much as that badger over there?" Spencer asked. Before the ram could answer, Spencer punched him and yelled, "Violent hooligans like you!" The ram was hurled into the air by the impact and the punch had literally knocked his pants off. The four ZPD officers watched as the gang ram flew overhead. Only Nick was unsurprised.

Lucas swallowed and approached Spencer. The mountain lion turned and gave the fox his attention. Lucas stuttered, "Th-thank you for protecting Ashira… If something happened to her…"

"Don't mention it, kiddo," Spencer chuckled, his head bleeding from the bat.

"Spence, go to the hospital, will you?" Nick advised as he walked over. He cuffed one of the gangsters, a kudu, before asking Lucas, "Hey, bud, how was school?"

"Um, fine. Uneventful," a somewhat flustered Lucas answered. Judy, after cuffing a raccoon from the gang, run over to Lucas and gave him a big hug. "Uh, hey, Mom!"

"This is your mom?" Hunter asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm adopted," Lucas told his friend.

"Hi, there! You must be one of Lucas's new friends! I'm Mrs. Wilde!" Judy introduced herself as she extended her paw.

"Hunter Stagson," Hunter returned the introduction as he shook her paw.

"She's Officer Hopps-Wilde on duty," Nick added as he rested an arm on Judy's head. "Aren't you, bun-bun?"

"Nick, stop, you'll embarrass Lucas in front of his new friend," Judy giggled. Lucas was unable to muster a response. His recently active mind went blank.

"As for you two, are you at it again? Seriously, someone's going to get hurt trying to intercede one of these days," Nick said to Spencer and Elias.

"I had to be conspicuous. I've got news on the favor you asked me to do, but I didn't think your son would be here," Elias informed Nick, whose eyes lit up eagerly.

"Your dad knows Elias Badgerton?" Hunter asked in surprise.

"He knows everybody," Lucas replied nonchalantly.

"Alright, Nick, I'll back off a bit since Elias owes you. And it looks like you picked up a sweet kid. And here I thought you had topped off your lucky streak with your wife," Spencer chuckled.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Spencer," Nick sarcastically thanked Spencer.

"I remember you! You were at our wedding!" Judy exclaimed, pointing at Spencer.

"Yep, I was there. That was a good wedding, but your dad looked like he didn't want to let go of you," Spencer recalled observantly.

"That's because he didn't," Judy chuckled sheepishly. She looked at Ashira and smiled. "You're the girl from the train station, aren't you?"

"Yep! That's me!" Ashira cheerily confirmed. She walked up to Judy and got on her knees. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Thank you for helping him…"

"…I could say the same to you," Judy replied with a gentle smile. It warmed her heart to know that Lucas was opening up and that he had someone to listen to him. There was no way Ashira would have known otherwise.

Elias whispered something in Nick's ear. The fox officer's emerald eyes widened in shock. He gasped, "You're kidding!"

"Nope," Elias said as he shook his head. "You've got a good family, Nicky. Keep that in mind in everything you do."

"You should consider starting one," Nick advised.

"I love all mammals enough to consider everyone my kin. Except Spencer," Elias said and stuck his tongue out at the mountain lion.

"Why you…!" Spencer growled. Nick got between the mountain lion and the badger in order to prevent another violent clash.


	9. Panic

**Hello, Zootopia fans! I'm sorry I couldn't update last week. A friend was visiting for the weekend after spending the last three months away in California. It was good to see him again. Anyway, here's another installment of A New Life.**

 **On another note, I've finally come to terms with myself. I'm bisexual. I've been coming out, but know that my own sexuality has nothing to do with me making Hunter a homosexual. That was just me being a realist. Enjoy!  
**

 **Chapter 9: Panic**

The next school week had started and Lucas was settling in nicely. After spending a weekend to himself to reflect on his feelings for his new friends, he had concluded that he had a crush on Ashira and that Hunter and Joey were going to end up being his best friends. As Hunter's friend, Lucas also decided he really wanted to help the cervine find a boyfriend.

As Lucas was just about ready to go to school, he hugged Nick and Judy tightly, saying, "Please be safe…"

"It's a dangerous job, but we'll try, kiddo. We wouldn't put you through that kind of loss again," Nick assured, patting Lucas's head and messing up his bangs a bit. Lucas gave out a small laugh. It was surprising, how much he had grown to love Nick and Judy in such a short amount of time. Lucas's fluffy tail wagged as Nick was petting him.

"Have a good day at school, Lucas," Judy said, hugging her vulpine son. Her orchid colored eyes sparkled lovingly. It was the kind of loving gaze that Lucas hadn't seen in six years. He could only nod, stunned by that shimmer in the rabbit's eyes.

"Thanks, Mom," Lucas mumbled happily. He was holding his guitar case, asking, "Can I bring this with me?"

"Sure!" Nick encouraged. "I don't see why not."

Nick and Judy saw Lucas to the bus stop and went on their way to work. On their way to ZPD HQ, Judy asked, "Did I tell you that my sister Gillian wants to move out here?"

"You mean in the near future? Carrots, your parents will never allow it. She's 16 and in high school," Nick pointed out. Among all of Judy's sisters—and there were hundreds—Gillian was probably Nick's second or third favorite. The first being Amber, whom he had known the most personally, and the possible second being little Molly, whose name Nick had finally remembered after their wedding. She had been the flower girl. There were too many names to keep track of…

"I thought about that, but I think it'd be good for Lucas to have some family in his age range in the area. The only other Hopps in the area is Amber, my twin, and we don't even know if you and I can have kids together without special treatment. If we can, the age gap would be tremendous…" Judy said, trying to keep herself from mumbling.

"And Gillian wants to live the city life?" Nick added, earning a nod from his rabbit wife. "And she'd live with Amber and Finn until college or music school or something?" He received another nod. Nick couldn't help but chuckle. "Do all bunnies have such dreams of grandeur, or is it just a Hopps thing?"

"Probably both," Judy replied slyly. "Hey, Nick, do you think Lucas is too old for plush toys?"

"Depends on his preferences. I really liked his friends," Nick commented. The ZPD came into view. "Work, sweet work… Wonder how long Chief will yell at us today."

"I really think he should take the mayor on a date. She's his kind of female," Judy claimed, imagining Chief Bogo and Mayor Lynx as a couple. "They'd be so cute together!"

"Is Clawhauser seeing anyone?" Nick asked out of curiosity.

"I think he went on a date with a guy last week," Judy replied. "At any rate, let's just hope your friends don't have another street brawl. I mean it, Nick."

"I know, I know," Nick said defensively. "They'll be good. I think." The happily wedded couple entered their place of work together as they conversed.

Meanwhile, Lucas was trying to figure out what kind of male was Hunter's type. In homeroom, the fox asked, "Um…W-what's your favorite build…?"

"You mean on a guy? Well…probably someone like you. Fit, but not too brawny. All the tough stuff and muscle jacking is kind of overrated in my book," Hunter answered before turning to Joey and saying, "No offense."

"None taken," the kangaroo replied. "At least I don't go crazy on it. Do you know how many guys in this school look disproportionate because they only work on their biceps? It's a shame."

"I want a nice boyfriend, not a muscle headed guy who likes to show off," Hunter said, crossing his arms. "And I am not ashamed of being gay."

"Too true," Ashira agreed. "The disproportionate guys look ridiculous. Ugh… Now, Lucas, what's with the guitar?"

"I, um, I was hoping to play it for you all in lunch… But if you don't want me to—" Lucas began, but found himself cut off when Ashira pressed her nose to his. He felt his face heat up and his body started to tingle from her touch.

With her fluffy tail wagging, Ashira begged, "Please do! I wanna hear you play! Pretty, pretty please?"

"I, um, well, I…y-yeah… Okay," Lucas stammered, flustered and excited by Ashira's display of enthusiasm. His own tail started to wag. Hunter and Joey watched the two of them, smiling.

"Kivuli's in our lunch block, right?" Hunter asked the marsupial.

"Oh, Kivuli Darkclaw? Yeah, I think so," Joey replied.

Meanwhile, Nick and Judy had just been given their patrol assignment. The duo got into their squad car and drove into the city, both of them in for a long morning. There was an abundance of driving around and easily forgotten banter when suddenly…

"This is Officer Jackson. We've got a fire on Eighth and Darwin. Requesting assistance clearing the area," Officer Jackson's voice came in on the radio.

Nick and Judy exchanged glances before the latter spoke into the radio, "10-4. Officers Wilde are on the way!"

"I thought Bogo told you to refer to yourself as Hopps-Wilde," Nick pointed out.

"We're going together, so what does it matter?" Judy slyly replied.

"Whatever. You know, I thought people would be smart enough to stay _away_ from burning buildings," Nick muttered.

"You know," Judy began, speaking somberly, "I haven't had the courage to ask him myself, but I have been told that Lucas was rumored to have tried getting back into his house during the fire, like he was trying to save his parents…"

Nick suddenly felt a massive wave of guilt wash over him and he wished he could retract his statement. He could tell Lucas was very bright, but he wasn't sure whether to classify such actions as brave or reckless. For an eight-year-old, adjectives like brave and reckless went paw-in-paw. Nick clenched his paws and grit his teeth, tears starting to spill from his eyes.

"Nick? Honey, what's the matter?" Judy asked as she turned onto Darwin Avenue.

"If I had said what I just said in front of him…I'd never forgive myself…" Nick wept, thinking of the fear, panic and desperation that must have been going through his adoptive son's mind at the time.

"Oh, Nick, I'd hug you if I wasn't the one driving," Judy said compassionately. "He'd forgive you. Now, I need you to pull yourself together. Look, there are Jackson and Rhinowitz."

Back at Savannah Central High, Lucas was strumming his guitar for Ashira, Hunter, Joey and Kivuli. Ashira, with her tail wagging, seemed most taken with the music. Lucas was happy that his friends were so enthralled with his skills, but a bit flustered by the attention. He glanced up and had to look twice. In front and above, there was a television monitor that showed the news. Peter Moosebridge was talking about a fire on Darwin Avenue and Eighth Street. They cut to the building, showing Nick and Judy desperately trying to keep the press away from the fire and failing.

"What the…?" Lucas's eyes widened and he barely uttered the words. His body started to shake. He stopped playing his guitar. Nick and Judy were at the fire. At the fire… Fire… Memories of trying to climb over burning rubble and ruin of what was once his home flooded his mind. He remembered crying out to his parents. As if speaking his mind, the bespectacled fox muttered, "Mama… Papa…!"

"Lucas…?" Ashira spoke up worriedly. She was stunned when Lucas shoved his guitar into her arms and dashed over to a garbage can. Lucas couldn't stop trembling as he began to vomit into the can. She gave Kivuli the guitar and hopped over to Lucas's side and started rubbing his back. "You're…you're having a panic attack…"

Lucas couldn't respond. He was vomiting and trembling too much. The memories flashed on a loop in his mind. The vomit stopped and he stood over the garbage can, panting, clutching the rim of the can as though his life depended on it. He glanced at Ashira and rasped, "I'm sorry…!"

"Your mom and dad are there at that fire… Closer to it than you'd like… Lucas, they're just trying to keep the press and civilians back so the fire department can do its thing…" Ashira explained, though she knew full well that Lucas knew that in the back of his mind.

"It's too much…" Lucas mumbled and stumbled into Ashira's arms. "I'm sorry… I don't want to lose them… I can't… I can't…" His eyes were huge with anxiety and Ashira decided to walk him to the guidance counselors' offices.


	10. Support

**Hey, all! I'm back with another update! Thanks again to** **Revan Alek Shan for letting me use his OC, Kivuli, in this story. He's about to have a more accentuated role in this story. Revan told me this great idea he had and called it a tribute to my own recent coming out as a bisexual individual. I was so tickled pink by that! Just so you know, the Alex mentioned is NOT a reference to my friend Alex who has been giving me advice in moving the story forward. I listened to some relaxing music from various Pokemon games. The Pokemon OST, whether from main series games or the spin-offs, never disappoints. My favorite to this day is the Explorers of Sky soundtrack. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 10: Support**

Thankfully, the officers at the fire were unharmed. Once the scene had settled down, the Wilde couple was about to leave when Judy's cell phone started to ring. She checked the screen and sighed, "Oh, no…"

"What?" Nick asked, flipping his aviators from in front of his eyes to the top of his head. He crouched down and craned his neck so he could see the screen. His eyes widened when he saw the number.

"It's Lucas's school…" Judy reported, voicing Nick's thoughts. Judy answered, "Hello? Yes, this is Mrs. Wilde. He what?! O-okay, how is he…? …Yes, I understand. We'll be there soon… Thank you. Bye." She hung up and looked grimly to Nick. "He saw us by the fire on the news and had a panic attack. I think it dredged up some bad memories for him."

"Aw, no…" Nick mumbled, feeling a pang of guilt in his chest. He knew it couldn't be helped, but that didn't save him from the fact that his son had been so terrified of being left alone again. On the bright side, it showed how quickly Lucas had grown to trust and love Nick and Judy and how much he needed the home and family that they provided. In its own right, it was a sign of progress. They both got into the squad car. Judy, at the driver's seat, paused. Nick, perplexed, asked, "What is it, Carrots?"

"I'm going to church later…I need to ask Him for some advice. Nick…are we really doing all we can?" Judy asked, tears hanging in her sparky purple eyes.

"Well…I think what we have been doing has left him better off than he would be in that orphanage. He's been opening up. He's smiling. He doesn't look dead inside. We just have to keep it up and treat him like the normal mammal he is," Nick replied, trying to pick his words quickly and carefully. "Though, I hate using 'normal'. It's just a social concept. Everyone needs to wave their freak flag, I say. Maybe I'll try implementing a Be Weird Day when I'm mayor."

"You want to run for mayor?" Judy asked, never hearing this before.

"No, but it'd be cool if I did," Nick cheekily replied. Judy couldn't help but smile. Somehow, Nick always managed to cheer her up. Judy started the police car's engine and drove off to Savannah Central High School.

At the school, Ashira was sitting next to Lucas on a couch in the guidance counselor office lobby, rubbing his scarred arm. Hunter sat across from them and Kivuli sat next to him. Joey stood behind Lucas, holding his guitar case. Lucas had told the other three males everything with Ashira's help and all of them had been stunned speechless.

"Y-you guys don't have to stay around…You all have class…" Lucas mumbled.

"You know that we're not leaving you…" Hunter said firmly. "No wonder you were trying to force yourself to tell me on the bus. No one could say anything like that with ease."

"Yeah. I'm glad you at least told Ashira. It feels good to hear you tell your story in your own voice," Joey added.

"It makes my own backstory seem mild…" Kivuli sighed. Something Lucas had never noticed before was that part of Kivuli's mane was combed over one of his eyes, making only one emerald green eye visible.

"What's your story? I mean, after hearing his, it's only fair," Joey urged.

Kivuli pulled back the part of his mane that was combed over his eye, revealing a scar over his eye. He said, "My best friend, Alex, is a coyote. He was turned savage during the Night Howler incident and attacked me… It was just as I was about to come out, too…"

"Come out…?" Hunter echoed. He started tugging on his rainbow wristband in anticipation. "You mean…?"

"I'm bi," Kivuli confessed. "I know he couldn't help it, but still…I've been afraid to tell anyone ever since. And there's always tension whenever I talk to Alex. Not even my uncle Leodore or my cousin Leona know that I'm bi. And I can't even see them that often because they're both in prison now… They'll be out soon, but…"

"You're the ex-mayor's nephew?" Ashira asked. Lucas, having never been to Zootopia before being adopted, began to grow lost in the conversation. He just sat quietly and listened to the conversation.

"I don't like talking about that, either. Others stop seeing me for me," Kivuli informed the freshmen.

"I won't," Hunter spoke up after no one said anything. "I haven't stopped seeing Lucas for who he is. You think I'd treat you any differently?"

"I…" Kivuli began, flustered. "Wow, you… I, um…"

"Hunter has a way with words, doesn't he?" Ashira commented and turned to Lucas. "Of course, so do you."

"You think so…?" Lucas asked softly.

With her ruby eyes beaming into his sapphire eyes, she replied, "Yes, I do. It's one of the many things I admire about you."

Lucas felt his face heat up. Did the vixen just confess that she had a thing for him? He glanced at Hunter, hoping for some wingman-like support, but Hunter was staring into Kivuli's eyes. The two of them seemed to have something of a romantic connection. Kivuli said to Hunter, "You know…I'm glad I came out to someone like you…Someone who gets how hard it can be…Someone with beautiful, friendly orange eyes."

"A-are you saying…?" Hunter asked, stammering out of being flustered.

"I find your compassion towards your friends to be an attractive trait. And I didn't want to do this because of that thing where everyone's like 'ooh, you're dating a _freshman_ ', but…I can't fight it. Hunter, do you…want to start going out?"

"I, um…Well, I… Yeah," Hunter confirmed, happy tears hanging in his eyes.

"Aww!" Ashira cooed. Lucas smiled to see his friends get together like that. Then, his eyes shifted to the door. Judy and Nick stepped in, relieved to see him with his friends.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Lucas jumped out of his seat and exclaimed, running over to hug Judy.

"I was just about to say the same!" Judy exclaimed.

"We're sorry you had to see that, bud…" Nick apologized. He was relieved to see that Lucas seemed fine. He had a good support group in the form of his friends.

"It's fine… Did I worry you…?" Lucas timidly asked.

"A little bit…" Judy admitted. "But that's what parents do." She turned to her son's friends and said, "Thank you for being there for him."

"Kivuli?" Nick called out to the lion.

"Uncle Nick?" Kivuli turned from Hunter as he replied.

"Uncle Nick?" Judy repeated.

"I'm friends with his parents," Nick explained.

"Of course, you are…" Judy replied flatly.

"M-Mister and Mrs. Wilde?" Ashira spoke up and stood up to approach the police officers. "I just…well, I…Thank you for bringing Lucas to Zootopia." With that said, she gave them a polite bow.

"It was our pleasure," Judy replied. "Thank you for being there for Lucas."

"Now _that's_ my pleasure!" Ashira exclaimed happily as her torso came back up, beaming at Lucas. Judy made a mental note of how great of an influence Ashira seemed to be on Lucas and really hoped that Lucas could work up the courage to ask Ashira out.


	11. A Little Bit of Faith

**Hey, all! I'm back! Sorry for the wait. Between finals and some other stuff, it's been busy. Here's another installment of "A New Life"! And yes, Males Like Females is a Zootopian equivalent to Boys Like Girls. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 11: A Little Bit of Faith**

Judy and Nick were thankful that Ashira and Lucas's other friends were there to calm Lucas down. Pulling the squad car into the parking lot of the chapel of their wedding, Judy made a request to Nick. She asked, "Can you please wait here and come grab me if we get trouble?"

"What are we doing here, Carrots?" Nick asked curiously.

Judy, as she was getting out of the car, looked him in the eye and said, "I need to talk to God about this…"

"About what? Lucas? And I knew your family was religious, but I never took you for the religious type," Nick commented, flipping up his aviators.

"I prefer faith over religion, personally. It's faith that gets people through the hard times. Kind of like when I had faith in you on my first case," Judy replied with a reminiscent smile as she closed her door, recalling Nick's snarky aid in the Emmitt Otterton case.

"Or when I had faith in you during the Mad Cow incident," Nick added, thinking back to when Judy risked her life to save his mother from a gang. "Now we both need to have faith in a higher power…"

"We don't _need_ to," Judy called out as she went into the chapel. She muttered to herself, "It just helps…a lot…hoping that someone is going to make sure it will be okay…" She walked down the aisle, thinking back to her wedding briefly, before taking her place at a pew fit for a mammal of her stature. She folded her paws and mumbled, "Please…I know time heals all wounds, but time doesn't seem to be healing fast enough for this…I won't abandon him, but…I can't do it on my own…"

"You know, the morning services ended forever ago," a familiarly sweet voice informed Judy. The bunny turned her head to see none other than Mrs. Otterton. With delight, Judy's amethyst eyes widened. The otter greeted, "Hello, Officer Hopps-Wilde."

"Mrs. Otterton, it's so good to see you again!" Judy exclaimed and hugged the otter, who reciprocated with a hug just as strong. Pulling away, the bunny cop asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to say a prayer for my mother-in-law," Mrs. Otterton replied. "How about you?"

"A prayer for my son. Nick and I adopted," Judy informed the otter.

"Oh, how nice! How old is the little guy?" Mrs. Otterton asked curiously.

"Fourteen," Judy sheepishly confessed, scratching the back of her head.

"If I may ask, why would you adopt a teenager?" Mrs. Otterton asked, finding the adoption of an older child, as many would see it, a tad strange. It was at this point when Judy, with her ears drooping, burst into tears as she fell to her knees and wept into her paws. Mrs. Otterton, feeling alarmed and guilty about Judy crying, wrapped her arms around the police officer once more and asked, "Has this boy been through a lot?"

"T-t-too much…!" Judy sniffled, trying to calm herself down. "I want to love him…to help him…to make him feel at home…"

"Well, do you love him?" Mrs. Otterton asked. When the bunny nodded, the otter said, "Then the first step is already taken care of. He needs your love, Officer. If he has that, he has something to go back to."

"Y-yeah…" Judy stuttered as she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"You know, my older son is thirteen. Maybe our boys could become friends," Mrs. Otterton suggested cheerfully.

"Well, I'm happy to say he's coming out of his shell a little bit at a time. When we first met him, he barely said anything to either of us. He's talking more and more…and he's branching out more, he's learning to trust other mammals… The past still stings, though… He's been through a lot for anyone, especially a kid his age," Judy informed the female otter. "I guess that's a sign… And I know who's responsible for turning his life upside down in the first place."

"Oh? I suppose you used your investigative prowess, then," Mrs. Otterton guessed.

"Well, only a little. Nick called on one of his friends to look into it," Judy sheepishly admitted, scratching the back of her head. "And…the ones behind my Lucas's parents' deaths…they're already incarcerated. I'm going to have a chat with their leader first chance I get."

"Officer, are you looking for revenge?" Mrs. Otterton asked in disbelief.

Tearing up again, Judy answered, "I just want to know why… Why him…? Why such a sweet, innocent kid who had never done harm to anyone? Is it because he's a fox…? His family grew potatoes… He's really shy, loves comics and music, has a crush on a girl… He's just a regular kid with a really traumatizing past. Why him…?"

"Life's not always pretty, but I like to think that it all works out for the best somehow. God knows what he's doing," Mrs. Otterton consoled the upset bunny officer. "I mean look at his situation now. He has a loving home. It sounds like he's making friends. Things are working out for him already."

"That's His plan, I guess," Judy hypothesized with a rejuvenated smile. Her ears perked up when she heard Nick honking the horn on their squad car. "Excuse me. I think we have activity."

"Well, if you ever want to talk, you still have Emmitt's number from when you asked us to provide the flowers for your wedding," Mrs. Otterton reminded Judy with a wink.

"Thank you so much, ma'am," Judy excitedly thanked the otter and ran out to the car, hoping that Lucas would go the rest of the day without incident.

Meanwhile, Lucas was humming "The Great Escape" by Males Like Females as he was taking notes on geometric proofs. Proofs were a pain… Lucas knew that the logic behind them was important, but that didn't do anything to help the subject usurp his excitement. He wanted class to end soon. Memorizing theorems seemed tedious, but the way the theorems worked made sense.

Ashira was on his right. She glanced at him and spared him a smile, making his heart go aflutter. Lucas smiled back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ram repeatedly glancing at the two of them, twitching as if he was holding back anger. Lucas wasn't sure what he did to anger the ram, but every time he saw a sheep, no matter what the emotional context was, he thought of one of his foster siblings.

Ewelina.

Ewelina was two years his junior. They had been together in the first and second foster home. Their second foster father, the one who had abused Lucas and catalyzed his cutting, had been responsible for putting Ewelina in a wheelchair. That injury to the one who had been his little sister for two years at that point was when Lucas had finally snapped and called the local authorities, enduring an undeniably brutal assault all the while. He hadn't seen her since. He hoped Ewelina was well.

"Don't worry about him," Ashira softly whispered to Lucas.

"Hmm?" Lucas's thoughts returned to the classroom.

"Don't worry about him," Ashira repeated. "He's wary of predators ever since the whole Night Howler thing went down. Some garbage about how ex-Mayor Bellwether was arrested on false charges. It's a load of hogwash. He's a conspiracy theorist of sorts…"

"Oh…" Lucas mumbled. He remembered it was Judy and Nick, his own adoptive parents, who had caught Bellwether with her confession. With such heavy-caliber evidence against her—the evidence that is Bellwether's own voice, how could anyone believe Bellwether was innocent?

Lucas took a deep breath and focused on geometry. Geometry… And the occasional whiff of Ashira's scent that he would get. He enjoyed everything about her. Just being near her made him genuinely happy to be alive. His tail would always give a small wag to her presence.


	12. Ewelina

**Hi, all! I know it's been a while! I've been a bit busy, but I went on the mission trip a couple of weeks ago. The one that helped inspire Lucas. It was so much fun and so rewarding! We built a playground, put in a baseball field, threw a carnival; it was the best week of my life! I'm on meds now, too. And since I am a huge nerd and convey that through Lucas and Ashira, expect anime and Japanese-mythology references. Please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 12: Ewelina**

After wondering about his foster sister, Ewelina, and receiving nasty glares from a ram that Ashira later identified as Harrison, Lucas was happy to be out of geometry. Once school ended, he, Ashira, Hunter and Joey met up by their lockers. Their plan was to have a group study session in the park. Lucas had never been to the park in downtown Savannah Central before. Best of all, he was going with his friends. And Ashira…!

"No Kivuli today?" Ashira asked Hunter, nudging him playfully.

"Nope. He said he was busy today," the buck replied in disappointment. "But since I'm surrounded by friends, it's okay. What about you, Joey? No practice today?"

"Nah, mate. Coach had a meeting," the kangaroo informed his friends. "It'll be nice to have a day off. What about you two?"

"I don't have anything going on and Mom and Dad said okay," Lucas informed his companions sheepishly. He had to find some extracurriculars or some afterschool activities soon. Perhaps he would ask Ashira what she was interested in. Deep down, he really wanted to look into a graphic novel club. That would be fun. The heroes in comics and graphic novels were always so remarkable and unique.

"Granny says she wants Rina and me to stay out for a while. I think she's up to something fun and kooky again," Ashira notified her pals.

"Your grandma is so cool," Hunter remarked. "She's like a little kid."

"Well, she's got the stature for it," Ashira pointed out. Lucas found himself trying to imagine what Ashira's grandmother was like. From how she was described, it seemed like she was a little ball of energy. In his wondering, he almost didn't notice Ashira gazing into his eyes. The ruby eyed vixen asked, "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I was just trying to imagine what your grandma was like," Lucas sheepishly admitted.

"She's fun, but the coolest one in my family is my oldest sister Inari! Rina and I both really look up to her!" Ashira informed the male.

"How many siblings do you have again?" Lucas asked, trying to keep track of the family members Ashira talked about.

"I'm the youngest of five," she answered, tail wagging. "My mom's proud of all of us, but Inari's really made something of herself as a city planner. She also likes to do liquor sales. My brother, Kitsu, the next oldest, is pretty quiet and usually tame. He's a martial arts and sword instructor. Sometimes he has trouble controlling his anger. Especially when Granny gives him a hard time. Though, he does teach really well. The middle child is Suiko. She's a year and a half older than Rina and graduated last year. She's trying to earn some money before going to school, so she's a cleaner for some high-class mammal. Then there's my sister, Rina. She's almost eighteen. Between her face, body and pleasant demeanor, some would argue that she's the heart throb of her class. She wants to pursue a career in criminal justice."

"Your family sounds really interesting! What does your mom do?" Lucas asked out of curiosity.

"She's a banker. She can be a little ditzy, but super pleasant to be around and great with numbers," Ashira claimed. "And you're an only child with two cop parents, right?"

"Yeah. Well, I did use to have a bunch of foster siblings, but…I haven't really seen any of them since I was dumped at the orphanage… I miss some of them a whole lot…" Lucas sighed.

"It's hard having to part with mammals you care about… I can't even imagine how that must feel. The ones who helped you through the rough times are who knows where now…" Hunter muttered sympathetically.

"Maybe you'll see some of them soon, mate. It's a smaller world than it looks," Joey said reassuringly, hoping to lift the fox's spirits with a bit of hope.

"I guess you have a point, Joey," Lucas acknowledged, knowing well that such an opportunity couldn't be forced and was purely based on chance. He took a deep breath and hoped Ewelina was well and happy before getting back to being excited for the group study.

"We'd better get going," Ashira announced. The males heeded her suggestion and the four of them left the school. They started down the sidewalk towards the nearest city bus stop. It was a temperate day that wielded a gentle breeze that played with their fur. Ashira started humming an upbeat tune that struck Lucas's memory.

"Ashira, is that the opening of…?" Lucas started to ask.

"Oh my gosh, you know?!" Ashira exclaimed giddily, grabbing Lucas by the collar of his hoodie.

"How could I not? That series was awesome!" Lucas replied.

"Wow. Both of them are into animated series," Hunter chuckled. "This couldn't be a better coincidence."

Both foxes looked at Hunter quizzically and the deer's response was to flash Lucas a congratulatory wink. The male fox felt his face heat up and he adjusted his glasses, praying Ashira didn't catch that wink or the implications that came with it. He glanced at her and she looked just as flustered. Was it because she felt put on the spot? Was it something different?

He didn't have too much time to think about it as the bus soon arrived. The two foxes, the deer and the kangaroo boarded it and were soon on route to the park. When they arrived, Lucas saw a squad car and figured that a pair of Zootopia's finest was on their beat in the area. When the four of them got off the bus and headed into the park, Lucas saw that he was right, but it didn't come without a surprise waiting for him.

"Oh, Lucas!" Judy called out as she waved. Nick shook his head in embarrassment of the attracted attention.

"Mom? Dad?" Lucas called out, perplexed to see his adoptive parents there. "What are you doing here?"

"This area was our assignment today," Nick informed his son, smiling coolly. "You're not getting into trouble, are you?"

"N-no," Lucas gave a short response.

"We're here for a group study session and hangout, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde," Ashira clarified.

"Oh, that's so nice! Well, we won't be in your way. Bogo said to patrol this end of the park on paw, so we'll be around if you need a couple of cops. I just…hope it won't come to that," Judy informed the teenagers. "You all have a nice time now."

"Thank you!" the four of them thanked the Wilde duo as the latter group continued their patrol.

As the four adolescent mammals sat under a tree and began pulling out their books, Lucas glanced up and saw two female sheep, one adult and one child. The adult was pushing the child in a wheelchair. The younger sheep looked to be about twelve years old. Lucas's heart stopped. No way… It couldn't be!

Lucas stood suddenly, startling his friends. Taking shaky steps, he walked forward and called out, "Ewelina!"

The sheep stopped. The adult took a partial side step so the younger one could turn her head and get the source of the voice in her peripheral vision. The young sheep gripped the wheels of her wheel chair, spun herself around and started wheeling towards him with tears in her eyes. Lucas started running towards her. When he got to the point where they would collide, he got to his knees and caught her in his arms, chair in all. The sheep exclaimed, "Lucas, it is you!" The two were in a tight embrace.

"Ewelina, I'm so glad you're okay!" Lucas wept joyfully. "You got adopted?"

"Yeah, soon after the incident. You did, too?" Ewelina responded.

"Yeah. Just recently," Lucas stated.

"Well, then, why don't we live up to our promise?" Ewelina suggested to her old foster brother. "You know, the one we made if we ever met after becoming more than someone's foster children?"

"Right! Um…You go first," Lucas urged, recalling this promise.

"Okay! Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Ewelina Ramsey," Ewelina introduced herself to Lucas.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Lucas Wilde!" Lucas introduced himself. "I suppose I should introduce you to my friends." To his surprise, his friends had come over to see what the fuss was about. It made his life easier, though, because he didn't have to worry about how Ewelina's wheelchair would handle the grass under the tree. He gestured to Hunter first and went along, "This is Hunter. And that's Joey. And this is Ashira."

"Hi, there!" Hunter greeted warmly.

"Hello," Joey greeted.

"It's nice to meet you, Ewelina!" Ashira exclaimed joyfully, wiping a tear from her eye.

Ewelina whispered in Lucas's ear, "She's pretty."

"Yeah," Lucas softly agreed, tail wagging. In spite of the odds, fate brought him to his old foster sister and one of the few friends he had before his new life.

"Oh, this is my mom!" Ewelina said and waved over the older sheep.

"Hi, there! I'm Mrs. Ramsey," Mrs. Ramsey introduced herself, shaking each teen's paw (or hoof in Hunter's case).

"We have a lot to catch up on! I wish we could do it today, but Mom and I were going to meet my brother on the other side of the park. Umm… Oh! Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?" Ewelina asked.

"Oh, I do! Let me get them for you!" Ashira volunteered and dashed to her things under the tree. She tore a page from one of her notebooks and snatched up a pen and darted back over to Ewelina, giving them to her. Ewelina accepted the pen and paper. She used the pen to transcribe an address and phone number onto the paper. She gave Lucas the paper and tried to give Ashira her pen back, but the vixen declined. "I want you to have it. It'd come in handy in the future."

"Really? You mean it?" Ewelina asked excitedly.

"Absolutely! It's all yours!" Ashira responded, smiling kindly.

"Thank you so much!" Ewelina thanked her.

"Come on, Ewelina. We should go now," Mrs. Ramsey said, gripping the handles of the wheelchair. "It was nice meeting you all."

"Bye, Lucas," Ewelina bid the male fox farewell as she was wheeled away.

Lucas waved, feeling thankful that one of the few good things to come of his suffering was back in his life again. On top of that, he felt a lot closer to Ashira.

Judy and Nick were watching from afar. Judy looked up at Nick and said, "I'm happy for him. And the mother seemed nice, too."

"I was…happy and surprised with how calm they both were around him and Ashira. It makes me think times have changed for the better," Nick opened up, meeting Judy's eyes.

"They have," Judy assured as she held his paw. "And you and I are going to keep making them better. Better for Lucas and his friends and that little sheep."

"So…when are we going to visit the mastermind?" Nick asked, his tone changing from happy and hopeful to dark and serious.

"We can go later if you want," Judy said. Nick gave her a nod, signaling that he would like that.


	13. Because of You

**I know it's been a while, but I decided that today would be a good time to finally do some work on this story! A few months ago, I thought I would save the contents of this chapter for the end of the story, but then I started shuffling ideas around in my head and I decided to place it after Ewelina's debut instead. There's more where this came from! So here's the moment where a lot of questions get answers, but will we have more questions? Enjoy!**

 **Also, the term "stand alone complex", coined by the** ** _Ghost in the Shell_** **series, is defined as the concerted effect of unconnected actions of individuals. For example, I like and watch anime, as do others. Because of our individual interests and how we approach them, we form a community of fanatics and become a noteworthy sector of popular culture. You'll see why the stand alone complex is important later.**

 **Chapter 13: Because of You**

After Nick and Judy witnessed the reunion of their son and his foster sister, they saw to it that Lucas's friends made it home safely. After their beat, the Wilde couple clocked out at the precinct and changed into their regular clothes. They had let Lucas tag along with them to the precinct, and it was there that they presented him a choice.

"Alright, buddy, now there's someone we're going to pay a visit to and we wanna know if you want to come," Nick said to Lucas, who was brushing his thick, red bangs away from his glasses.

"Who is it? Is it Grandma Kristy?" Lucas inquired. His tail began to slowly wag, excitement over seeing his father's mother building. Nick glanced away for a second, and then his meadow green eyes met Lucas's sky blue eyes once more. The older fox reluctantly shook his head and Lucas's fading excitement was evident by the drooping of his ears.

"You see, buddy, we're going to see the ones behind your childhood home burning down…" Nick explained just as Judy was coming out of the females' locker room, wearing jeans and her pink plaid button-up shirt.

"Thanks for breaking the news, Nick," the rabbit thanked her vulpine husband as she walked over, her sharp hearing catching Nick's words clear as a bell. Turning her attention to Lucas, she reported, "As it would turn out, the ones responsible have already been incarcerated. We know it'd be painful for you to go, but…it might bring you some closure. If you don't want that, it's okay to tell us."

"…I'll go… I want to know why it had to be them… Why any mammal would have a bone to pick with my parents. We were potato farmers…" Lucas mumbled, wringing his paws. "Part of me hoped it was a freak accident, but…" Nick and Judy looked at each other like telling him was a horrible mistake. The older fox and the bunny were surprised by what came out of their adoptive son's mouth next. "Thank you… It means the world to me that you two would do so much digging around on your own time. For me…"

"Oh, of course, Lucas. We love you and care about you… And we wanted to do right by you," Judy replied, hugging the teenage fox. "You mean the world to the both of us…"

"Even though you've only known me for a short time?" Lucas asked, mildly bewildered.

"Not short enough for Carrots to put the 'mother' in 'smother'," Nick teased as he patted Lucas's head. Lucas's tail wagged delightedly at the affection he was being given, which brought a smile to Nick's face and earned a wag out of his own tail.

The Wilde family made their way over to the local prison in Savannah Central, where criminals who violated the law in Zootopia's heart and those who endangered the welfare of Zootopia as a whole were kept. Predator, prey, big, small—none of it mattered. They all broke the law and were serving their time. After the bunny and the two foxes were cleared, Judy requested to speak with the warden. The warden, an elephant, agreed to meet with Judy and they spoke in her office. Lucas tried to listen to what they were saying, but he couldn't hear through the door.

A gray rabbit with black stripes on the side of his head and the tips of his ears approached the two foxes and greeted Nick, "Hey, Wilde."

"Jack Savage, as I live and breathe," Nick gave the greeting a half-hearted return. "What's good, Savage?"

"Not much. I just broke up with Jasmine. She…didn't take it well," Jack reported. His ex-girlfriend, Jasmine, was a bunny who went rogue because no one took the time to care about her. She joined the Mad Cows, a gang brought down by the ZPD. She was then offered a position as part of a black ops unit by Mayor Lynx herself. The bunny had accepted, but due to being in a delicate psychological state, she had to make frequent visits to a court-appointed psychiatrist.

"Well, at least she didn't strangle you," Nick pointed out. "I heard that while she was on the inside, she took down a guy who said that she was a harlequin programmed for murder and he _still_ has health issues. So why the breakup? She seems nice."

"Issues aside, I just don't love her and staying in a loveless relationship would just hurt us both. Besides, there's an arctic fox named Skye who's been hitting on me and she is just _gorgeous_ , so I figure I might as well give it a shot," Jack explained. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can spread my wings and fly."

"I'm pretty sure that's a tagline for either an energy drink," Nick joked. "Or a health care product."

"I'm so confused," Lucas muttered.

"Oh, right. Lucas, this is Jack Savage. He grew up with your mother. Jack, this is my son," Nick introduced Lucas to Jack.

"How does Judy feel about you having a kid?" Jack asked curiously, arching a brow.

"Pretty good, considering we adopted him together," Nick replied coolly, wrapping an arm around Lucas. "Though he does look like he could be mine."

"Alright, who's ready?" Judy asked after taking a deep breath. The door of the warden's office was open. Lucas turned to look Judy in the eye. Judging be her ever-softening expression upon meeting his gaze, he guessed that she saw a mix of angst and anticipation. He couldn't blame her; that's what he felt inside. His parents were murdered, after all, and he was about to see where the responsibility falls. There may have even been a bit of anger in the mix. Sadness, too.

"I'm ready," Lucas answered, attempting a display of confidence.

"Do you mind if I go in first? I have a few choice words," Judy requested and received a small nod from the fourteen-year-old.

The amethyst-eyed bunny smiled slightly, but the smile quickly faded as if an old wound had begun to fester.

Judy was then taken to a cell with a big metal table in it. Sitting at the table, with one leg chained to the floor, was a former mayor and the mastermind behind the Night Howler incident. It was none other than the bespectacled, sweet-eyed, covertly-prejudicial Dawn Bellwether. Judy had thought of Bellwether as a friend and ally, but to find out that said friend had stabbed her and everyone in the back by turning the city on its head. Zootopia almost collapsed due to rising tension and fear. Chaos had reigned.

Bellwether sneered, "The high and mighty Officer Hopps, what brings you here?" The sheep made no effort to conceal the contempt in her voice. "Come here to preach about how we're all equal when it's obvious we aren't?"

"I like to think that we're all equally different," Judy replied calmly, which had surprised the rabbit herself, as she sat down in the stainless-steel seat across from the ex-mayor.

"Huh. That's a new one," Bellwether said with a shrug. "Seriously, why are you here?"

"I came to ask you about six years ago," Judy got right to the point. "I think you know what I mean. The Redd family? They were potato farmers. A mother, father and their little kit. A boy with the bluest eyes you'd ever seen."

"Cute, but I don't see where I come in," Bellwether bluntly and sourly claimed.

Judy, who had a drawstring bag with her, slung the bag onto her lap and said, "Give me a minute. I need to reach into my purse."

"That's not a purse and you know it," Bellwether pointed out, unamused.

"I like to improvise," Judy remarked as she pulled out a folder. She passed it to the sheep, who started looking through its contents. The rabbit pulled out another folder, one that Elias Badgerton had given to Nick, as she watched Bellwether look through the papers in the file. There were minute changes in the ex-mayor's expression, but no indicator in an overall change in demeanor. "Well?"

"The kid's a predator," Bellwether said flatly, no emotion residing in her voice. That was it.

Judy snapped. She was dumbstruck. She was angry. "Are you trying to tell me that you feel _nothing_ right now?!"

"You'd be surprised what prison can do to you. At least I was with my crew before our trial. Now we only see each other every so often," Bellwether explained her lack of empathy.

"If you want sympathy from me, you're baaing up the wrong tree!" Judy exclaimed angrily, slamming the second folder onto the table. "Everything in here ties you and your posse to the deaths of that fox's parents!" Now, Bellwether looked interested. She cautiously took the folder out from under Judy's paw and opened it up to examine the papers inside.

There were several minutes of tense silence that weighed the room down like the air was a boulder. Judy watched the realization slowly hit Bellwether—the realization that there was enough evidence to nail her six times over…again. Judy craved to see one more thing from the sheep. She craved to see at least a shred of remorse.

Instead, Bellwether muttered, "Badgerton!" She then looked Judy dead in the eye and informed her, "I'm not the first to feel this way about preds and I won't be the last, Judy. I'm a copycat without an original! So is every mammal else who is rightfully frightened by what those sharp-toothed carnivores can do. That's how things have always been!"

"A stand alone complex," Judy mumbled. "Well, if that's how you're playing, then take a look at the stand alone complex I'm part of. Acts of kindness and an effort to understand each other…those are what can build the world up, save it in its darkest hour, and help us flourish as living beings. I'm not the first or last to feel that way and act on it. Odds are, neither were the founders of our great city."

"That's awfully idealistic for a stand alone complex, but since you're familiar with the terminology, you know that if someone else goes to extremes to put preds in their place, it'll have nothing to do with me. That's right, they'll be unconnected to me and you won't know how, where or when to stop it until it's too late," Bellwether pointed out.

"I hope my great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren are long gone before someone tries to pull something to the scale of your scheme," Judy growled.

"By the way, why are you doing this? You the pred's old kit sitter or something?" Bellwether smugly inquired.

"…He's my son now," Judy confessed.

Horrified by the answer, Bellwether gasped and consolingly muttered, "You poor, stupid child… He'll turn on you yet. Deep down, they're all killers."

"Based on this, you're no better. Why'd you and your 'boys', Doug, Jesse and Woolter do it?" Judy crossed her arms and demanded, ears slapping down against the back of her head.

"I had to see how far they were willing to go to escape the tyranny of predators. I knew they all had backgrounds in chemistry and a strong sense of tradition. So we plotted and targeted the remote house of a small family of foxes. I kept reminding them that the option to back out was still on the table and they kept brushing it off. They're loyal to the cause," the female sheep told the rabbit the story of the fire and why they did it. "The only reason I'm telling you this now is because I've got a life sentence and Doug, Jesse and Woolter's consecutive sentences will keep them here until they die. Even if there was anything you could do now, there'd be no point."

"That's just…that's so…evil!" Judy exclaimed. "How can you live with yourself?! Don't you get it?! He's just a kid!" At this point, tears streamed from her eyes.

"Hey, without me, you wouldn't have a kid and we wouldn't be here right now," Bellwether smugly pointed out, glancing down at Judy's wedding band. "You married him, right? That fox you debunked my plan with?"

"W-well, what if I did? I don't care if Nick's a fox and I'm a bunny. I love him, and I love Lucas, too!" Judy exclaimed defensively and called over her shoulder, "Bring him in!"

Nick and Lucas appeared from behind a corner. A guard, a squirrel, let them into the cell and Judy stood up. Nick triumphantly thanked his wife, "Thanks for doing good by us, Carrots." Judy ran up to him and hugged him. "Have a seat, Lucas. This is the mayor before Mayor Lynx."

"H-how do you do?" Lucas softly asked as he sat in where Judy was.

"…" Bellwether didn't answer.

"You know…I-I heard every word… My mom and dad… You killed them… And it was over the shape of their teeth and what our ancestors did to survive?" Lucas inquired, the very words being put together making him feel nauseous.

"Hunger is the desire for food. It's primitive, and it doesn't go away no matter how evolved a species is. I'm sorry you were neglected, violated and have a mind like broken glass, but I did what's best for the flock," Bellwether defended her position on the subject. "How can I regret that?"

"Because of you, my parents are dead. Because of you, I was left void of any love for years. All I had was obligation, empty words, pain, awful memories, night terrors, panic attacks, the desire for isolation, no mammal to hold and myself to blame for everything. Because of you, I was used and abused in ways that I couldn't have understood at the time. All I knew was that it hurt and I felt toyed with. Because of you, a sheep like yourself had part of her lower spine snapped all because she stood up for me when I didn't stand up for myself. Because of you, everyone around me thought I was a lost cause and I agreed with them. Because of you, I lived these past six years like I was as dead as my mom and dad. Burned out," Lucas told Bellwether.

"…" Again, Bellwether had no words. However, she wore a more thoughtful look on her face than she did with Judy.

"You broke me before I could understand why. However, it's also because of you that I was adopted by two mammals who love me enough to take the time to backtrack what you did all the way back to you, calling in resources and favors off the clock all the while. It's because of you that I'm in a good home and going to a big school where I met the best friends I ever had. It's because of you that I have so many opportunities available to me that I never would have had back in the sticks. You changed my life forever, leaving me scared, angry, depressed, traumatized and exhausted, but also thankful for my blessings. You helped me learn a valuable lesson and I thank you for that," Lucas calmly and confidently said.

Bellwether's jaw dropped and so did Nick's. Judy's tears were now tears of joy. Lucas quietly stood. He didn't know much about Bellwether, but he knew that her intense hatred for predator animals would leave her feeling defeated by hearing 'thank you' from him. It would make her actions seem counterintuitive. He could have said every nasty thing under the sun if he wanted to (not that he would), but he knew that anger and hatred were what she wanted from him. She would only use that to preach her separatist philosophy from her cell until she died. Instead, he would leave her struggling to keep her core value intact because her actions had benefits for the one she was trying to destroy. For the first time, Lucas felt like he was victorious in life.

"So, uh… Who wants to go for pizza and ice cream?" Nick inquired.

"Me, please," Lucas said softly, removing his glasses to wipe his eyes. Judy let go of Nick to give Lucas a tight, proud hug and a happy, teary smile.

"I'm so proud of you," Judy sniffled happily.

"I never wanna monologue like that again…" Lucas sighed in content exhaustion.

"But you will. I think you'll be the best male at Hunter's wedding, God knows when," Nick chuckled.

"Or maybe even Uncle Finnick and Aunt Amber's, and _they_ should have an idea of when by now," Judy added. With that, the happy family left the cell and a perturbed and baffled Bellwether with it.


	14. A Load Off My Chest

**Geez, it's been a while since I've written for this! It feels like I'm scrambling to get things done, but I decided I wanted to work on this story some more. It's been a demanding semester, so I'm sorry about the scarcity of my updates. Please enjoy! Also, just because they don't eat real meat in Zootopia doesn't mean they don't have cheese. Had we been told otherwise, I wouldn't have made Judy's brother have a dream of opening a frozen yogurt shop in my last story.**

 **Chapter 14: A Load Off My Chest**

The Wilde family left the prison and Lucas craned his head, the harmonious cracking sounds emanating from his neck loud and clear for his adoptive parents, Judy especially. Judy smiled in spite of how stunned she was by the amount of tension her son's neck alone had previously contained.

"Whoa, sounds like you needed to get that load off," Nick gave Lucas a pat on the back and remarked, referring to both the monologue the teen fox had given Bellwether and the release of tension from said teen's body.

"I just couldn't stop talking… I was so livid, but so…I don't know. I don't know how to describe it, but I wasn't about to give her what she wanted. And I meant every word," Lucas claimed, staring down at the sidewalk.

"You've had a hard life and I think it would be lunacy for anyone to claim otherwise. Lucas, whether you're a Redd or a Wilde, you're still you and I believe… No. I _know_ what a strong young mammal you are," Judy stated, gently grabbing his left paw. Her thumb rubbed the scars on his wrist. Lucas was surprised at how calming Judy's small, subtle motions along the fur and scar tissue were. It was reassuring to him, as if, in spite of knowing better, he could feel like he lived in a safe world.

"Yeah. I know, too. You just showed us, after all," Nick recalled the scene from a short while ago while wrapping an arm around Lucas. "You could have lashed out at her if you wanted, but you didn't. Not everyone has that kind of restraint, especially under your circumstances. People who never met her hate on her for what she did to the city, but it was personal for you. And you thanked her. You were the bigger mammal here. Big enough for a slice or two at Quilligi's, I hope."

"You bet!" Lucas exclaimed, excitement filling his eyes. "Their crust is amazing!"

"Isn't it? I remember when my mom would take me there as a special treat when I was a kid," Nick announced reminiscently.

"And I'm sure you hatched a great number of schemes with Uncle Finnick," Judy smugly hypothesized as the trio started walking. Nick gave a sheepish chuckle and avoided her triumphant gaze.

"M-maybe one or two, but those were the old days, Carrots," Nick admitted.

"Mm-hmm…" Judy grunted coolly. "I'm glad you both are putting your skills toward better causes. And you, Lucas, are going to be a great forensic scientist."

"I told you guys about that?" Lucas asked.

"You might have let it slip once or twice. Whether or not you were awake is for you to figure out," Nick teased.

"I talk in my sleep?!" Lucas questioned in panic and embarrassment.

"Oh, you don't. Your father is just kidding; you only mumble," Judy clarified with a stifled giggle.

"Mom!" Lucas exclaimed in frustration as Nick and Judy shared a goodhearted laugh. Lucas soon joined in on the laughter. Was this what it was like for a teenager to converse with their parents like a real family? Playful jests with no stress-inducement? It made him feel airy and at peace.

Everything he had been through had done some extent of permanent damage to him, but he felt like he had finally discovered inner harmony in spite of it all. Scars would remain, but they would never define him or shackle him. Was this enlightenment? Not realizing that tears of joy were streaking his face, he felt Nick hold him closer and Judy hug his arm. Lucas would never take their kindness, generosity and love for granted.

"You doing alright?" Nick asked, trying not to sound as concerned as he was.

With a smile, the younger fox replied, "Yeah, Dad. Best I've felt in a long time. Thank you… Thank you both…!"

"For what?" Judy asked. "Investigating the fire? We did that because we wanted to…because we thought that you deserve to know why things are the way they are. You didn't ask for any of this…"

"I meant for everything. I've received more affection, love, care and encouragement from the two of you in such a short time than I have in the last six years. I finally got the opportunity that let go of my anger. I may always harbor some resentment for what she did, but it's out of sorrow and disgust and not contempt. If I hold onto that anger for what she did to turn my life upside down…No, I couldn't hold on or life wouldn't change," Lucas elaborated.

Nick smiled warmly and took a guess at what Lucas wanted to say next, "The mask that hides your emotions…you got to take it off and feel free. I'm sure it was in your eyes, but you showed a lot of control in there. We can't stop time or turn it back, but have all the power in the world to move forward with it. I think you're doing just that."

"You really think so?" Lucas asked and gave his tail a swish of uncertainty.

"Absolutely! When we first met you, you barely spoke three words to us at a time! Now I look at you and how happy you are and the friends you've made…no one ever would have guessed that you had a troubled past if they met you now. Life is hard, but I believe that it's never more than we're truly capable of handling," Judy answered, confidence tempering her voice. "Do I think you can handle a lot? Well, yes. Yes, I do."

"Ditto," Nick agreed as they crossed the street. Lucas's tail started wagging in appreciation at their words of encouragement and sincerity.

"Thank you," Lucas mumbled gratefully. "Is it alright if I make plans to meet up with Ewelina this weekend?"

"Of course! I was hoping you two would take the time to catch up!" Judy giddily exclaimed. She gave a few eager hops, a shake of her cotton ball tail and a beaming grin of excitement. Lucas flashed her a faint, grateful smile accented by teary blue eyes.

"She means a lot to you, huh?" Nick asked empathetically.

"Yeah…She's a sister to me. And it was because she didn't want me to suffer anymore that she had her back permanently damaged… She'll never walk again because of me…" Lucas muttered, panic rising in his voice and his eyes gradually growing wide as dinner plates.

"It's not because of you that things are this way," Judy spoke up, the firmness in her voice bringing the teenage fox to his senses. "It's because of the selfishness of the ones who've hurt you. You are _not_ responsible for what happened to Ewelina."

Lucas did what he could to keep his feelings inside, but he looked like he wanted—no, _needed_ to cry. He just swallowed and let out a shaky breath. He knew his bunny mother was stubborn, especially when she strongly felt she was right. He wondered if he would have been as unwavering if he had spent his entire life on the potato farm as opposed to the first eight short years of his life. Wondering wouldn't do him any good, of course, but curiosity wouldn't cease so easily.

The family eventually reached the pizzeria known as Quilligi's. The door opened and the unique scent of pizza filled the nostrils of the two foxes and the rabbit. There were patrons present, but the pizzeria would not be considered "packed". One small table for accommodating rodent patrons had a female chinchilla wearing a periwinkle sweater and light blue glasses and a female chipmunk with choppy head fur and a denim jacket and black skirt. Another table had a dark gray male bunny and a red male fox wearing a gray hoodie and glasses. The fox and the bunny were holding paws and, judging from the bits and pieces of their conversation, Lucas could infer that they were college students at Zootopia University, or ZooU for short.

A tall mare stood behind the register, smiling pleasantly. Nick looked at Judy and Lucas and asked, "So three plain cheese slices?"

"Sounds good!" Judy agreed, coupled with a nod from the teenage fox.

"Alright! Why don't you two grab us a table?" Nick suggested, almost gliding across the sleek tile floor to the counter. Judy and Lucas seated themselves in a booth, on opposite sides, smiling at each other.

"So Saturday?" Judy asked.

"You mean for when I plan to visit Ewelina? Yeah, Saturday. That's when. Could you, maybe, come with me?" Lucas sheepishly asked, nervous about being a fox and going to a house of sheep. "Her mother seemed to accept me, but I don't know about the rest of the household…"

"Oh, honey…" Judy mumbled, flashing her kit a look of sympathy. Her kit… Yes, he was hers and she would help him through his darkest days. "Of course, I will. Besides, the mother seems like a great mammal to sit down and chat with."

"Thank you so much!" Lucas exclaimed in relief. He was excited to be able to catch up with his foster sister, a dear mammal in his heart and someone who could relate to his suffering.


	15. Mammals Are Mammals

**Oh my gosh! An update? I haven't forgotten this story! Don't worry! School has just been really busy and I've been doing some community service stuff on the side. Please enjoy this installment! This chapter's theme was inspired by the organization that I have been working with in the aforementioned community service.**

 **Also, I am making a note to include more minor characters and characters cut from the film in addition to my OCs to liven up the story more.**

 **Chapter 15: Mammals Are Mammals**

Finally, Lucas was going to take some time to catch up with his foster sister, Ewelina. To him, an opportunity like this was a dream come true. He was standing before a large, green house that had been converted into a series of apartments, Judy standing beside him with her usual grin of radiant positivity plastered on her face. Glancing at his adoptive mother for a surge of reassurance, Lucas couldn't help but find Judy's confidence contagious.

Gently elbowing Lucas, Judy urged, "Go on. I'll be right by your side."

"Right," Lucas affirmed as the duo approached the house. Making note of the handicap ramp attached to the stairway, he took a scrap of paper that he wrote Ewelina's address on from his pocket and examined his writing. "She's in apartment B… Hey, Mom, how do you do it?"

"How do I do what?" Judy asked as she examined the ramp, finding it to be at roughly the appropriate angle for a mammal in a wheelchair.

"How do you get up every morning and tell yourself, 'Let's get out there and change the world'? I wake up and immediately get anxious for what the day holds for me," Lucas clarified, ears slapping back against his head. It was true. Sometimes, it was difficult for him to calm down. Some ghost of his past could rear its head any day, wearing a new face and ready to haunt him once more. It was a prominent possibility that he dreaded. That was why Nick and Judy being close to a house fire or apartment fire made him physically ill.

Was Judy so determined to make the world a better place out of sheer passion? Was it her sense of justice that drove her, or was it naivete? Curiosity about the matter had always burned in the back of Lucas's mind. Now that he stood before the current residence of his once-foster sibling, he had to know. Anything that could give him strength to move forward, to override the weakness in his knees and the heaviness in his chest, he would gladly accept.

"Honestly? Because I tell myself that I have to. Making the world a better place, making the future brighter for everyone; all of it can seem so overwhelming," Judy explained, "but it isn't because there are mammals alongside me and within the mayor's office who are devoted to the same cause. Not just there, either. Everyone is putting their paws, hooves, flippers or whatever other appendages they can spare to give to society in their own way. Mammals are mammals, Lucas, and there's strength in a pack. That is a pack I will gladly devote my strength to. If we work alongside each other, we can all bring each other to the lives we all deserve. That's the belief that gets me up in the morning."

Incredible! Lucas had been isolated for so long that he never really saw individuals as parts of a greater whole before. Now that he had been thinking about it, Zootopia was founded on a philosophy very similar to what Judy had just described. Awestruck, Lucas almost forgot to ring the doorbell. He quickly eyed the five doorbells on the apartment complex before pressing the one labeled "B". He took a step back and cleared his throat. A moment passed, and then another. Then, the door opened, having been answered by Mrs. Ramsey. The sheep smiled graciously at the teen fox and adult rabbit and invited them in.

They were brought to a small living room that was connected to a kitchen area. Ewelina, having been patiently waiting, excitedly wheeled over to Lucas and gave him a tight hug. He patted her head and greeted, "Hey there, Ewelina!"

"You're here! You're really here!" Ewelina exclaimed giddily. "It's like a dream come true!"

"Yeah, it sure is!" Lucas readily agreed. When complications shrouded his days black, this was one of those momentous occasions that truly shined.

"I wish my brother was here to meet you! Come to think of it, he's in your grade," Ewelina informed Lucas.

"You have a brother?" Lucas asked. Ewelina nodded excitedly.

"He's out with his dad today," Mrs. Ramsey chimed in. She turned to Judy and asked, "Would you like coffee?"

"Yes, please! That would be great!" Judy exclaimed gratefully.

Meanwhile, Nick was on duty with Officer Brie, the force's first mouse and a member of his graduating class at the academy, patrolling the city. He preferred being with Judy, but at least he got to drive when he was with Brie. Taking a deep breath, Nick let out a sigh and said, "Beautiful day for a scenic drive through the city, eh?"

"How's the kid?" Brie asked, glossing over Nick's pleasantry.

Astounded by the directness and appreciative of the topic, Nick reported, "He's doing okay. Judy took him to meet with one of his old foster siblings. They were both really happy about each other getting adopted. He seems especially good after confronting Bellwether."

"Bellwether? Why? Because she's prejudice against predators?" Brie asked, not knowing the full story.

"She was behind Lucas's old house burning down," Nick reported. "Apparently her segregationist actions date back further than we thought. I really have to thank Elias next time I see him."

"Elias? As in Elias Badgerton, the info broker?" Brie asked, a mix of intrigue and concern in her voice.

"Yeah, that's right. He's a buddy of mine. I have a habit of making friends," Nick replied slyly, really taking the time to enjoy being behind the wheel.

"He's smart and charming, but he's also got a screw loose. And I don't get why he and Spencer Dewclaw are always trying to kill each other. What is up with that dangerous rivalry?" Brie asked, seeming to put faith in Nick's knowledge of the city's people.

"Honestly," Nick sighed, stopping at a red light, "I don't think they have anything better to do. There's really no other way to describe it."

"That is profoundly stupid," Brie said bluntly.

Nick gave a small nod of agreement as the light turned green. He drove forward and as he did, he spotted a street lamp flying through the air. The fox remarked, "Speak of the devil…"

"What in the—" Brie gasped, jaw dropping.

"Spence doesn't know how to hold back," Nick explained simply. "Doctors think he's physically incapable of it. His strength is incredible."

"A single big cat uprooted a street lamp…and chucked it across several city blocks…" Brie said conclusively.

"Yeah," Nick confirmed. "Let's go check it out." Estimating where Spencer and Elias would be, Nick knew he hit the mark when he saw a big crowd of mammals pouring over the side of the sidewalk. He got out and projected his voice. "Alright, everybody, nothing to see here! Just two dudes having a fight; nothing special!"

Spencer was swinging a street sign he had uprooted at his badger rival, unbridled rage being his predominant expression. Elias, on the other hand, wore a sly and smug grin as he would narrowly dodge and attempt to lunge at the feline with his sharp, outstretched claws. Nick had to be swift and watchful. With little exaggeration, one misstep could mean death. In an instance when the two rivals backed off a bit in preparation for a grandstand play, Nick dove between them, causing them, his temporary partner and all the onlookers to completely freeze in shock. There was silence, save for the white noise of the bustling city activities.

Nick looked at Spencer, then Elias, and then back at Spencer. Nick pointed to the stop sign in Spencer's grip and informed him, "That's city property." Brie looked on, dumbfounded. There truly was never a dull moment with Nick Wilde. The notion made her wonder how Judy felt about their home life and what that was like.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll desist. Send the ticket to my work, will ya?" Spencer requested and set the sign down before taking out a cigarette from his pocket and then pulling out a lighter. Placing the cigarette in his mouth, he asked, "Want one?"

"You know I quit," Nick reminded the jaguar. Spencer shrugged in response and lit the cigarette. By now, the crowd had started to dissipate. Turning to Elias, Nick said, "Thanks for everything you did to help with Lucas. Hopefully, his mental health will get better with this closure."

"You don't have to thank me, Nick. In fact, I don't think you should," Elias replied, the slyness of his grin static as it was. His tone and overall demeanor was a strange, yet fairly common mix of amused and informative. "Sadly, you're not out of the woods yet. None of us are. Not everyone shares my universal love of mammalian kind. Discrimination's a stand alone complex. Bellwether wasn't the first to play the species card. She won't be the last. Her actions were just concerted by the unrest she uprooted, much like that sign that Spencer tore out of the concrete."

"Can you do me a favor and not smile like it's your birthday when you're sounding this eerie?" Nick requested, being blunt since Elias was a friend. Albeit, one of his shadier friends, but a dear friend and confidant nonetheless.

"I'm just saying that he may have to deal with someone whose cognitions are akin to Bellwether's, Nick, and you need to be ready to react when the chips fall. Then again, you never know when or even if it will happen. It's kind of poetic, really. Strangers linked only by virtue can bring about revolutionary change together. Now don't you see why I find mammals so fascinating?" Elias's facial expression was borderline psychotic now.

After a _really_ long drag of his cigarette, Spencer picked up his dark blue sunglasses, which had been knocked off during the skirmish, and puffed, "I'm getting really sick of listening to you. The only reason your organs ain't pudding yet is because I'm curious about Lucas…and how you got the info about Bellwether being behind the arson."

"Tricks of the trade. You wouldn't get it, but Nick might," Elias hissed, dusting himself off. To a lesser extent, Nick did get it. He felt that Elias would have made a great detective if he hadn't found the job 'too restrictive'.

Information spread between mammals was what fueled individuals and collectives alike. They responded to complex problems the way their ancient ancestors responded to basic stimuli. Information was a tool often taken for granted by all but those who took the time to put the pieces together. That was why Nick knew that Elias Badgerton was a powerful info broker; one to respect and fear.


	16. Brought to Life

**Well, it certainly has been a while since I've worked on this story. Sorry I haven't been active as much as I used to be. Once again, college is busy and I've also being working on other fanfics and a few side projects. My closest friends are my family and it warms my heart that I can apply everything I've learned from Zootopia, My Little Pony and Fairy Tail to real life.**

 **It's not the end of the story just yet, but I have to give a big thank you to all of my readers, be they boisterous or unspoken, dedicated or passers-by.**

 **Chapter 16: Brought to Life**

It was the start of a new school week, and as soon as Lucas got to school on Monday morning, Ashira bombarded him with questions about how his meetup with Ewelina went. "How was she? Did you miss her? What'd you guys talk about? What's her sign? Is she secretly in love with you like in those really weird clichés? What's her shoe size?"

"Uhh…" Lucas wasn't sure where to begin with his answers.

"She probably doesn't even wear shoes," Hunter pointed out, while Joey just scratched his head.

"I'm sorry for being so giddy! I'm just _super_ curious about how it went! It must have been super important for you. How can I just sit back like nothing happened?" Ashira asked earnestly. She was rather lively today.

"You make it sound like he went on a date or something," Joey finally spoke up.

"What?!" Ashira exclaimed, flustered. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Gosh, I'm letting the stuff I read in books get the better of me."

"Ewelina's in good spirits, thank God…" Lucas sighed gratefully. "I never thought I'd get to see her smile again…"

"She really is like a sister to you," Hunter noticed in admiration. "Sometimes, I wish I had someone like that."

"Says the deer who seems to know everyone," Joey scoffed. "How do you know Spencer and those other adults anyway? Ashira's family is well-connected and Lucas's parents are cops, but I don't get how you know so many mammals."

Putting his hooves behind his head, the cervine just said, "Trade secret." This was followed by him playfully sticking his tongue out.

"You can be the exact stereotype of a sassy gay friend…" Joey muttered, causing Lucas to have to stifle a laugh. Then, after a pause, all four of them erupted into incessant giggles.

In the midst of their giggling, Lucas and Ashira hadn't taken notice of the ram from their geometry class glaring at them once again. In Lucas's mind, only this moment mattered. Not the past, nor the present. He felt happy and alive with his friends around. He didn't feel like he had molten lead in his head and his chest when he was laughing and enjoying himself with them.

The school day, for the most part, was business as usual, though having several classes with Ashira meant that Lucas could spend a lot of quality time with her. With all the time they had spent together, he felt a truly deep bond with her. She was a friend, a confidant, a living dream and a love he would hold close to his heart. He'd never take her for granted, not like he did with his parents. At eight years old, he never would have dreamed that his whole life would turn on its head in a single night. The thought of losing his friends and his new family in a similar manner sent shivers down to his very soul.

In geometry class, they had taken a quiz comprised of two proofs. Lucas didn't mind the logic involved in proofs, but the key to doing well on them is to label that logic with a series of theorem names. It was intuitive, and somehow not. Once the quiz was over, the students passed their quizzes forward in their rows and Lucas caught a glance at the quizzes that were now placed atop his own. One name caught his eye. "Jordan Ramsey".

Ramsey… That was Ewelina's last name. Lucas passed the quizzes forward and looked toward the back of his row. There was that ram again, the one who had glared at him and Ashira last week. That ram was Ewelina's adoptive brother? The teen fox suppressed the chill in his spine down to a subtle flick of his tail as he faces forward. His stare was so full of malice, and Ewelina was always full of unwavering joy.

Once passing the quizzes forward, they began the lesson and Ashira subtly nudged him. Before he knew it, he had received a note from her. Unfolding the small paper, he silently read the message: 'Do you want to go to the comic store after school?' At the bottom of the note, there were two check boxes with the options 'yes' and 'no'. Discretely, he checked 'yes', though he was sure he had nothing to worry about because their geometry teacher wasn't exactly the best at keeping an eye on her students.

Lucas passed the note back to Ashira, excited to go look at comics with his crush. His tail swished excitedly at the thought. He watched Ashira check his answer, her face lighting up. She smiled at him before returning her attention to the lesson.

After school let out, Ashira and Lucas got on a bus together that was headed towards downtown Savannah Central. The comic book store, called Curious Cryptids, was on Mane Street and full of comics, trading cards and novelty items that captivated the teen foxes. Lucas found new issues of some of his favorite comic series, including the classic Super Bat, the adventure story Jolly Roger, the manga adaptation of the popular game Fursona 5, the demonic mystery series CHA0S, and the magical girl comic franchise The Foxy Magician.

"The main character of that one looks just like my sister Rina!" Ashira exclaimed as she peeked over Lucas's shoulder and spotted the latest volume of The Foxy Magician.

"When I first met you, you actually reminded me of her," Lucas softly admitted. "Especially your smile."

With an amused chuckle, Ashira cautioned, "Keep talking like that and I just might have to kiss you."

Lucas felt his face heat up. What should he say? What could he say? Stammering, his reply was: "I-I wouldn't m-mind that."

Ashira abruptly burst into a fit of laughter. Lucas, of course, was taken aback by this. Through her laughter, Ashira apologized, "Ahaha, I'm sorry. I just…I really like how corny you can be. It's a refreshing mix of honesty and kindness. Seriously, I think that that's kind of hard to come by. And to have that come from you is amazing… Knowing what I know about you, I think you have every reason to hate the world, but you don't. You, of all mammals, don't hate fate and aren't defeated by a really crappy series of misfortune."

"Well," Lucas responded solemnly, "it's not exactly like I love the world either. I've come to know that everything happens for a reason. Part of me is resentful and grateful in the same sentence. I miss my parents all the time and I wonder what my life would be like if the fire never happened, but I'm finally in a place of peace. I can look in the mirror and tell myself I wouldn't have it any other way…"

He looked into Ashira's awestruck ruby eyes. Was what he said really that profound? Before having a moment to truly contemplate his words from another angle, Ashira leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He almost dropped the comics he was holding, and he held them closer to his chest as a result and pushed into the kiss, returning Ashira's passion with his own.


End file.
